CowChair

Graduation project Niels van Eijk

If the front of a shoe can hold its shape, then that must also be possible for other products. That idea led to the design of Cowchair, Niels van Eijk’s graduation project for Design Academy Eindhoven. Instead of tanned leather, he used an untreated cowhide. The hide is stretched onto a mould when wet, with contra-moulds shaping the seat. The chair is made without a frame, epoxy resins or conservatives; only the hide, water and tension. After a few days, the hide is dry and the chair is finished.

Year: 1997
Material: Cowhide
Measurements: 43 x38 x 75 cm
Production: Van Eijk & Van der Lubbe
Permanent collection: Centraal Museum Utrecht, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen Rotterdam, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam,
Museum of Modern Art San Fransisco USA
Project number: 97.005