Red Stave Chair

item details

NameRed Stave Chair

ProductionHumphrey Ikin; furniture maker; 1997; New Zealand

Classificationfurnishings, furniture, seating furniture, chairs

Materialsoak, steel, paint

Techniquesfurniture making

DimensionsOverall: 660mm (width), 1295mm (height), 445mm (length)

Registration NumberGH009007

Credit linePurchased 1998 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds

Overview

Red Stave Chair illustrates the blend of Pacific culture and ideas that its New Zealand designer Humphrey Ikin is famous for. Ikin, called the pioneer of the new Pacific design, builds furniture that is inspired by tradition but with a modern design ethos. He often uses simple, traditional materials like wood, and builds strong, contemporary furniture that is modern yet familiar. His furniture pieces, such as this chair, are works of art that are comfortable and durable.

Ikin's furniture is known worldwide for its design quality and Pacific minimalist look. In 1998 New York's I.D. Magazine listed him as one of the top forty designers in the world and featured his piece Red Stave Chair alongside work by well-known designers Jasper Morrison (England), Philippe Starck (France), and Antonio Citterio (Italy). In 2001 he won the prestigious John Britten Design Award, presented annually by the Designers' Institute of New Zealand.

Humphrey Ikin
Humphrey Ikin completed a degree in Business Studies before turning to architecture. However, finding he was focusing more on the furniture for buildings than their structures, he became a self-taught furniture designer and maker.