Brodie Neill — Cowrie Chair, 2013

The Cowrie Chair is a sculptural lounge chair inspired by the concave lines of seashells. The curvilinear form is the result of extensive research and an innovative process that bridges the handmade with the digital. Sweeping lines are displayed in a gentle, single surface monocoque fold. Perfectly proportioned, the all-in-one structure is formed in bent plywood with ebonised ash veneer from certified sustainable sources. The Cowrie is a striking piece of usable art; a contemporary manifestation of designer Brodie Neill’s ongoing fascination with natural, organic forms recast as functional design.

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For as long as he can remember, Brodie Neill has been inspired by the twinned beauty of nature and mathematics. Growing up in Tasmania, Brodie was surrounded by the landscape’s diverse ecology, leading to a fascination with organic phenomena and an ongoing commitment to respecting raw material. This orientation has coloured every aspect of Brodie’s subsequent practice. A University of Tasmania and Rhode Island School of Design alum, he has blended this appreciation of naturalism with advanced technical rigour, digital innovation and poised mathematical precision across sculpture, furniture and art commissions. Acclaim was instantaneous – with TIME Magazine’s Design 100 ranking his debut collection of furniture designs among the number of ‘the 100 most influential designs’. Brodie has worked with an impressive roster of clients, collaborating with international brands including Microsoft, Mercedes-Benz, Alexander McQueen and Swarovski. His limited-edition works are included in museums, galleries and private collections across the globe. Balance, proportion, simplicity and a curvaceous sculptural profile continues to characterise Brodie’s comprehensive furniture portfolio and colour all aspects of his Brands design vernacular – from the microcosm of its logo through to the macrocosm of its design intent.  

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The Chair 

Anna Varendorff, Ash Allen, Ashley Eriksmoen, Bern Chandley, Bonhula Yunupingu & Damien Wright, Brodie Neill, Brud Studia, Cordon Salon, Dean Norton, Duncan Young & Noah Hartley, Georgia Weitenberg, Isabel Avendano-Hazbun, James Lemon, Jess Humpston, Jill Stevenson, Johnny Nargoodah & Trent Jansen, Nicole Lawrence & Thomas Coward, Liam Mugavin, Marta Figueiredo, Michael Gittings, Sam Tomkins, Iain [Max] Maxwell & Ben Ennis-Butler, Trent Jansen for Broached Monsters by Broached Commissions, Two Lines Studio, Zachary Frankel.

Read more about The Chair here

'The Chair' exhibition is the first in a series presented by Craft Victoria honouring iconic objects of functional craft and design with a material driven approach.

Material:  plywood faced with ebonised ash 

Dimensions:  approx. 75 x 74 x 64 cm 

Editions available on a 14-16 week lead time with free delivery from the UK. Please enquire with the team at Craft for details shop@craft.org.au or call +61 3 9650 7775