Figurative Furniture: 15 Designs With Life of Their Own

Anatomy Chair by Pauline Kriel

anthropomorphic anatomy chair

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Would it make you feel weird to recline on the soft shapes of ribs, lungs, intestines and a human heart? Textile artist Pauline Kriel collaborated with costume designer Anouk Cazin to transform a traditional French dining chair into ‘The Anatomy Chair,’ which even has a detail of blood vessels on the back.

Nemo Chair by Fabio Novembre

anthropomorphic nemo chair

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Quite the statement piece, Fabio Novembre’s Nemo Chair stands as tall as an average person with its dramatic mask-like form. Perhaps most effective in white, the chair is actually available in a wide range of shades including orange and metallic copper.

Fleshy Chair by Cao Hui

anthropomorphic fleshy chair 2

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Guts and disturbingly human-like fat spill out of the fleshy furniture creations of Cao Hui. The ‘Visual Temperature’ series includes two upholstered armchairs in addition to a suitcase, jacket and gloves, hyper realistically rendered as the same gore you’d see if you sliced into an average human body.

Chair with Abs

anthropomorphic mr chair 2

anthropomorphic mr chair

Do you need your comfy living room armchair to have abs? If so, here’s the item for you. Mr. Chair by Soojin Hyun and Sangho Park turns the tables (or chair, rather) on the practice of objectifying female bodies, though the female designers say they hope this piece projects a sense of ‘dignity.’

Body Sofa by Atelier Van Lieshout

anthropomorphic body sofa

Dutch design firm Atelier van Lieshout sewed leather into body-like forms and then stuffed it to provide back support for this highly unusual one-of-a-kind sofa.