FROM ROB'S BENCH

Yuri Kobayashi’s favourites

Rob Brown

Blog for February 17, 2022

In my first “Ask the Artist” column I talked with Yorgo Liapis, who mentioned his favourite internationally made piece was “Being” by Yuri Kobayashi. I contacted Yuri, who was pleased to hear Yorgo loves not only her work, but her work ethic and willingness to help others.

Yuri was also more than happy to answer my questions.

What is the piece you’ve made that you’re most proud of?
“Breathe -I Hear You-”, a rocking chair.

What piece of Canadian-made furniture made by someone else do you like the most?
“A Table Made of Wood” by Gord Peteran.

What internationally made piece of furniture do you like the most?
“Panton Chair” by Verner Panton and “Circle Chair” by Hans J. Wegner.
They are both Danish and, unfortunately, no longer alive.

“Wenge Side Chair” by Thomas Hucker is my favourite internationally made piece of furniture made by someone alive today.

Honourable mention goes to “MT Solid Rocker” by Ron Arad, an Israeli industrial designer, artist and architectural designer.

Breathe – I Hear You

Flowing curves and negative space help make this piece an exceptionally beautiful rocking chair.

A Table Made of Wood

A literal take on a wooden table, this piece has hundreds of parts to it. (Photo by Elaine Brodie)

Panton Chair

Very hard to fabricate initially, this chair almost didn’t come to fruition due to the challenges associated with producing it. (Photo by Vitra International)

Panton Chair - detail view

Surely the “knee” of the chair required a lot of focus while designing and manufacturing, as this area takes a lot of stress while it’s being used. (Photo by Vitra International)

Circle Chair

Hans Wegner is one of the most influential furniture designers of all time.

Circle Chair (side view)

The side view shows how low the chair sits.

Wenge Side Chair

Another piece with strong negative space, this chair by Thomas Hucker is simple in form, but as any furniture maker can tell, would be difficult to build.