The Canvas Chair Doubles as Both Art and Furniture

Photos by Yasuko Furukawa | click to enlarge

Art, for the most part, discourages physical interaction. Look, but don’t touch. And most certainly, don’t sit. But a new series of canvases encourage users to lean into it. To just go ahead and take all that weight off.

Almost like some odd illusion, the seemingly flat canvases are made from a highly elastic fabric that is meant to sustain weight. The screen-printed chairs conform to your body as you sit into them immediately transforming from art to furniture.

The “Canvas” series was designed by YOY (pronounced yo-ee), a relatively new design firm established in 2011 by Naoki Ono and Yuuki Yamamoto. Presented last week at Milano Salone, the canvases have yet to make their way into your nearest furniture shop. But hopefully we’ll soon be able to replace all our foldaway chairs that are stashed in every nook we can find.