These striped Arthur Arbesser chairs are like furniture candy
Arthur Arbesser chairs are on show at Milan's Oxilia Gallery (until 28 June 2023)

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Austrian, Milan-based fashion designer Arthur Arbesser debuted his first furniture designs at Triennale Milano in 2022. Titled In a Box, the inaugural designs included these stylised chairs, dubbed Pemo and shaped like a chunky, sculptural outline of a traditional chair shape.
A year on, Nove Pemo (meaning 'nine Pemo') are on view at Milan's Oxilia Gallery, the design destination near Centrale opened in 2022 by Alessandro Mensi and long-term Wallpaper* collaborator Frederik De Wachter. Mensi and De Wachter lead the compact exhibition space with a neat curatorial eye (see for example Grace Prince's exhibition during Fuorisalone 2023), with every new showcase a delightful surprise.
As the exhibition title suggests, Nove Pemo features nine Pemo chairs in bright striped patterns, defined by the same bright and well-considered palettes that have characterised Arbesser's fashion collections. 'The smooth yet precise shape of the chair acquires a mesmerizing sense of motion as it interacts with the linear graphic surface. This three-dimensional amalgamation of patterns and colors evokes an immediate feeling of joy through the harmonious interplay of angles, curves, and lines,' reads a text accompanying the display.
The peculiarity of these new Pemo models is their scale: the shiny, well-crafted chairs (each available as an edition of 2) are not grown-up sized, but small enough for a child to sit on. This makes the chairs live somewhere between a playful, toy-like object and a collectible sculpture. 'I love small chairs and stools - for all ages!' Arbesser wrote introducing the project. 'This sturdy little sculpture is shiny, fun & looks delicious.'
'Nove Pemo' are on view until 28 June 2023
Oxilia Gallery
Via Nino Oxilia 9
Milan
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Rosa Bertoli was born in Udine, Italy, and now lives in London. Since 2014, she has been the Design Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees design content for the print and online editions, as well as special editorial projects. Through her role at Wallpaper*, she has written extensively about all areas of design. Rosa has been speaker and moderator for various design talks and conferences including London Craft Week, Maison & Objet, The Italian Cultural Institute (London), Clippings, Zaha Hadid Design, Kartell and Frieze Art Fair. Rosa has been on judging panels for the Chart Architecture Award, the Dutch Design Awards and the DesignGuild Marks. She has written for numerous English and Italian language publications, and worked as a content and communication consultant for fashion and design brands.
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