Referencing the wild, uncontrolled growth of cells in a body, De Ceulaer’s boldly colourful range of furniture touches on the slightly macabre themes of mutation, virus or bacteria growth, and chemical and nuclear contamination.
“The Mutation pieces make you look at furniture in a different way. Maybe one day we would be able to grow a piece of furniture like we breed or clone an animal, and manipulate it’s shape like a bonsai tree.”, says De Ceulaer, incorporating a notion of ‘living furniture’ into the conceptual impact of the pieces.
Simultaneously the the furniture echoes classic upholstery techniques such as are evident in the deep buttoned (Chesterfield) sofas, experimented with and re-interpreted in a modern and sculptural manner. In substitute of upholstering springs and foam covered with leather or textile, the bulging, bulbous contours of the pieces are created by carefully composing patterns with cut-offs of foam spheres of various sizes and applying them onto a structure. The complexity and flexibility of this process renders duplication impossible and makes each piece unique. The assembly is then coated with a durable rubber or textured velvet-like finish.
The Mutation series includes sofas, armchairs and poufs.