Jet black and richly detailed, Maximo Riera’s sculptural Animal Chair collection consists of an octopus, a rhinoceros, a lion, a whale, a walrus and a beetle. Crafted into dramatic seating, the animals look as if they could spring to life at any moment. The project took Riera three years to complete, working with more than thirty professionals in four different countries.

The Animal Chair collection is inspired by our connection to and impact upon the natural world. These towering sculptures serve as a powerful reminder of some of the most awe-inspiring creatures on earth.

Carved from compressed foam, which is stabilized by an internal steel frame, each chair is enveloped in real leather. And while they might not be as heavy as their living counterparts, they’re not exactly portable: the elephant chair weighs 353 pounds.

Each chair is slightly asymmetrical and carefully balanced to maintain a sense of the proportions of the animal depicted, even though only parts of their bodies are represented.