HERO PRODUCT…HAND CHAIR

You see these chairs everywhere, from Jonathan Adler to Kelly Wearstler and they certainly make a statement.   Designed in 1962,they come in a few different versions.  The most common one is a simple pedestal base, but Lenny Kravitz put an hand with a foot stand in his bathroom.

Pedro Friedeberg was born in 1936 in Italy to German/Jewish parents.  They later  moved to Mexico in 1939.  He studied architecture at the Universidad Iberoamericana.  Influenced by the teachings of Mathias Goeritz, a German-Mexican artist and then in 1960 joined a artistic group based on  Dadaist principles in that proposed anti-art for art’s sake.  Friederberg’s work includes paintings, furniture and sculptures as well as his iconic hand chairs.

On his website, Friedeberg says” ”For me, the house and its objects is supposed to be some crazy place that make you laugh.” They certainly do that.   These chairs come up from time to time on 1st Dibs but expect to pay upwards of USD 10000 per chair for a vintage one.  He has quite the sense of humour, also writing:’ I get up at the crack of noon, and after watering my pirahnas, I breakfast off things Corinthian.  Later in the day I partake in an Ionic lunch, followed by a Doric nap.   On Tuesdays, I sketch a volute or two, or perhaps a pediment if the mood overtakes me.  Wednesday I have set aside for anti-meditation.  On Thursdays I usually relax, whereas on Friday I write autobiographies.