Isabel Avendaño Hazbún, WGK (TABLES, CHAIRS, DESKS 2022)

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Isabel Avendaño Hazbún

Imagine bending a skin on frame kayak in the middle, like a doughnut, sitting on it and resting your back on the bow and stern. Inspired by the construction methods and profile of West Greenland Kayaks (WGK) this chair explores the possibilities of creating concept driven sculptural furniture using glued lamination techniques. The shape of the timber frame is highlighted with ropes made from navy blue silk organza reminiscent of kayak decks and of the lashing methods used to connect the stringers to the ribs. The frame is made from European Beech. The seat rest and base are both identical shapes, a tight semi-circle made from 2mm thick veneers. The veneers were soaked, shaped using a hot pipe and then glued inside a form. They represent the kayak’s gunwales. These connect to the back legs through a mortise and tenon addressing the angle of the seat but also the angle of the legs. Inspired by the angularity of the stern and bow of the WGK, the legs and backrest were shaped using machine and hand methods. The feet under the legs were shaped like rudder navigating systems and attached with a threaded insert. The kayak’s ribs make the rest of the chair. The same method as the gunwales was used to create these shapes. They were laminated as a single object and then halved creating two identical pairs that mirror each other from the centre of the seat. The ribs are connected to the gunwales through mortise and tenon cut using machine and hand techniques. Turned tiny timber feet glued to the second from the centre ribs elevate the chair from the floor. The result is an incredibly sound structure that is both comfortable and light.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.