Raw iron has been wrought into sinuous curves and geometric shapes to form this graphic furniture collection by Barcelona-based designer Valeria Vasi.
Metamorphosis was launched during this year’s Paris Design Week as part of an international furniture design showcase at Boon Room, a concept gallery in the French capital’s Bastille neighbourhood.
Composed of 11 pieces, the collection explores the “alchemy of creation” and the ways in which a raw material such as iron can be reworked.
Each piece starts life as a sketch, before being rendered digitally so that its proportions and other details can be easily refined. Finally, the designs are sent to an iron foundry to be hand-forged.
“I chose iron for its duality. It’s rooted in tradition and permanence, yet when forged, it becomes fluid and expressive,” Vasi told Dezeen. “It allows me to capture both strength and delicacy within a single material.”
“Working with iron feels like bringing a drawing to life, translating lines on paper into sculptural reality,” she continued. “These pieces are meditations on transformation.”
The collection has several striking seats, including The Descending Chair, which has an ultra-thin frame supported on one side by a snaking iron stem.
On top perches a spherical orb, made to look as if it’s rolling towards the floor.
“The chair’s dynamic silhouette, frozen in a moment of motion, serves as a metaphor for the continuous interplay between movement and stillness,” explained Vasi.
On The Constellation Chair, more round orbs interconnect with thin rods to resemble the diagrams seen on a star chart.
Vasi has also designed The All-seeing Mirror, which has a sharp, triangular shape.
Then there’s The Thurible stand, which was named after the vessel that’s used to burn incense during religious worship ceremonies. While a thurible is typically suspended from chains, Vasi’s iteration comprises a shallow bowl balanced on three slender posts.
“Designed as a private altar, the thurible offers the viewer a space for self-reflection and inner contemplation. It’s a reminder of the stillness that can be found in moments of quiet observation,” added Vasi.
A number of candleholders also appear in the collection; among them is the Ritual IV model, which boasts curly tendrils akin to those seen in ornate medieval ironwork.
There’s also The Orbit, which features two converging stems – one is straight, while the other is a sweeping arc.
Elsewhere during Paris Design Week, French artist Aude Franjou created an installation inside the city’s famous July Column monument, filling its staircase with coral-like branches and a pop-up shop explored “farm-to-closet” fashion.
The photography is by Kamila Solarz.
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