NARKi Furniture
Modern wood and steel pieces covered with classical-style paintings in this collaboration between fine artist and product designer
Wooden and steel furniture with baroque-inspired paintings upon their surface is the latest project by Prague’s UMPRUM product design graduate Roman Kvita and Academy of Fine Arts painting student Dominik Běhal. The two friends fused their different skills to create these unconventional objects for the collection—called NARKi—and blend historical and traditional styles like baroque, rococo and classicism with modern forms.
“Distinctive decoration of furniture had—apart from its aesthetic role—certain representational function, which reflected the taste, character or hobbies of its user,“ Kvita explains to CH about the project. “I was fascinated by the concept of connecting to the monumentality of baroque painting within the modern furniture,” adds Běhal. Sturdy, industrial-looking forms—made of solid ash wood—and bent brushed stainless steel legs double as a background for the traditional landscape, reminiscent of the 17th and 18th century old masters of Dutch realism. “In those days, this kind of furniture decoration was very popular,“ says Běhal.
Two different styles and functions meet across three pieces in total: a vanity desk, coffee table and a stool. Each connects different historical periods, as well as the two different skill sets of their creators. With that in mind, the project isn’t just for collectors of furniture design. “We are looking for some galleries to collaborate with and extend the collection in a more experimental way. We are already preparing new pieces, including seating furniture, in which we want to use larger surfaces for paintings.“ Kvita concludes. With luck, further pieces can be released as soon as fall.
Find more about NARKi’s furniture online.
Images courtesy of NARKi
