Kaa Chini Chair
Wenge and Baltic Birch
40"(h) x 39"(w) x 28"(d)
Kaa Chini, is the most ambitious piece of sculptural furniture I have ever attempted. I began conceiving its design about a year before beginning construction and took six months to complete the chair in 2004. I used a profile that I know to be comfortable from many other chairs that I have built. I stack laminated layers of Baltic birch plywood as I have in many of my previous chairs. In this design however, I borrowed from a very old technique that coopers use to make wooden barrels. That is, I shaped each piece of Baltic birch plywood into wedges by passing them through a planner at an angle. When the wedge shapes are assembled, they form the graceful curve of the back. For visual affect, I incorporated layers of wenge, a rich dark wood from Africa. The back and arms are carved in gently rolling furrows to mimic upholstery. The seat is shaped in wenge. This is a large chair that will comfortably support most people.
Kaa Chini is Swahili for "be seated". Swahili is a language spoken in East Africa where I lived and worked for two years as a Peace Corps volunteer.
This chair (#3 in the edition) with its matching ottoman was accepted in the Southwest Biennial at the Albuquerque Museum of Art (2006-7) and was awarded "Best of Alternative Materials". The set was purchased by collectors for their home in Carefree, Arizona.