Ebonized Birch Wood, Screen-Printed Enamel Paint
46 x 28 x 26 in

The iconic form of Dutch architect Gerrit Rietveld’s “Red and Blue Chair” is critiqued in 2 ways. The first way is by myself. I contrast the rigid structure of this austeire chair by bringing it to life with a gestural butterfly design that sweeps across. The wood is ebonized with a naturally brewed solution to give it a rich color. After staining, I screen-printed/hand-painted my design with oil-based enamel paint that wraps completely around every piece of the chair. Every shape in the design is connected across the form.

The second way is by my father. Through his intuition and carpentry training he received in his home country, he was able to craft the chair that was meticulously created by the renowned European designer.

My father went to carpentry school in Peru before immigrating to the U.S. as a young man in the 80s. After the initial years of settling in, he began his carpentry business that my family still helps him with currently. Growing up watching him work, I always knew that one day I wanted to create a piece of furniture with him.
This collaborative chair first stemmed from a visual motivation and ended as an emotional culmination, a tribute to the nuanced relationship with my father and his Peruvian culture that I longed for while growing up in a predominantly white, suburban town.

CHAIR PROCESS WITH DAD + RENDER