Underwater Creature Hanging Chairs in Porky Hefer’s Monstera Deliciosa

Porky Hefer's Monstera Deliciosa
Porky Hefer’s Monstera Deliciosa

The first solo exhibition of South African designer Porky Hefer’s unusual work, Monstera Deliciosa, Volume 1, is showing at the Southern Guild Gallery in Capetown. The exhibit features a new selection of the designer’s wild cane and leather-wrapped underwater animal-inspired hanging nest seats.

Porky Hefer’s Monstera Deliciosa

Porky-Hefer- in his angler chair Porky Hefer's Monstera Deliciosa
Artist Porky Hefer reclining in his Dora Esca chair

With the gallery walls painted blue, Hefer has turned it into an underwaterscape with his 6 fantastical chairs.

installation view in gallery

porky-hefer monstera-deliciosa-volume-i photo by-adriaan-louw

The pieces in the show, which is sponsored by Woodhead’s leather suppliers in Capetown, highlight local artisinal crafting such as weaving, stitching and splicing of leather and cane. The hanging pieces are suspended by ropes which are spliced in the method traditionally used on yachts, adding to both their strength and beauty.

stitching detail on crocodile
detail of the materials and craftsman on the Crocodylus Eugenie hanging chair

Not many people are doing environmentally inspired pieces of this nature, especially at this scale,’ explains gallery co-founder Julian McGowan. ‘Porky’s work pushes boundaries and perceptions of what art and design are, and ultimately what furniture is and can be.’

Below are all six chairs from the exhibit, including the artist’s sketches.

Fiona Blackfish (killer whale):
fiona shark sketches

Fiona shark hanging chair by porky hefer

Fiona shark hanging chair by porky hefer 2

Fiona blackfish hanging chair by porky hefer head-on photo by justin patrick

Crocodylus Eugenie (crocodile):
eugenie crocodile sketch

crocodile hanging chair by porky hefer, photo by justin patrick
crocodile hanging chair by Porky Hefer, photo by Justin Patrick

Dora Esca (angler fish):

Dora Esca hanging chair by Porky hefer, photo by Justin Patrick
Dora Esca hanging chair by Porky Hefer, photo by Justin Patrick

Porky-Hefer model in Dora-Esca chair

Porky Hefer Catherine in Dora Esca Chair

M.Heloise (Manta Ray):
manta ray sketchM.Heloise Manta Ray Hanging Chair by Porky Hefer, photo by justin Patrick 2

M.Heloise Manta Ray Hanging Chair by Porky hefer, photo by justin Patrick

Pelicanus Iris:
pelican chair sketch

porky-hefer pelicanus-iris hanging chair photo by-adriaan-louw

Puffer Fish:
puffer fish chair sketchespuffer fish char in cane by porky hefer

puffer fish of boo boo cane hanging chair by porky hefer

‘No one is playing with these skills in this way,’ explains Porky. ‘People are latching on to technology, but this evolves so quickly that it’s hard to benefit from it, because by the time you master a technological aspect it’s already dead.’

The artist in his Angler  (Dora Esca) chair:
Profile-picture-Porky-Hefer

The invitation to the show:
Porky-Hefer-Monstera-Deliciosa show invitation

Between 10 and 5 has a nice interview with the artist you can read here.
Monstera Deliciosa, Volume I runs from 20 November to 5 February, with a preview opening on 19 November.

Porky Hefer

Southern Guild Gallery
photos by Justin Patrick and Adriaan Louw, courtesy of GQ New Zealand, Blouin Art Info , Design Indaba and House and Leisuresketches courtesy of 10 and 5, Real Estate Magazine and Cape Town Magazine