08/07/2019 - Folklore, fantasy, history, the circus, animals, indigenous art, his native Spanish and the cultural influences of his travels can all be seen in the vibrant artistic world of
Jaime Hayon. His universe is at once sophisticated and playful, characterised by and immediately recognizable visual language that fuses humour with unbridled creativity.
BD Barcelona Design presented three new projects by
Jamie Hayon. Combining a playful quality and easy versatility, the
Dino armchair,
Mesas Explorer table series, and
Happy Yeti vases are distinctly out-of-the-ordinary pieces that truly represent the Spanish design brand.
Having collaborated with BD since the beginning of his career, Hayon was able to build on his experience working with the brand’s artisanal processes to design pieces that recall his previous work, but also give free rein to his creativity and stylistic interpretations.
Dino armchair
‘Dino wants to be a representative design by and for the history of BD where it shows the company’s know-how also through the seams’, says Jamie Hayon.
A majestic, high-back armchair with a generous seat cushion and powder-coated cast aluminum legs, the Dino armchair occupies space with inquisitive mastodon poise.
‘In the collection we now present, I wanted to take advantage of my previous experience with other molded and upholstered seats, to develop a new armchair that would be as comfortable as possible within certain dimensions, so that they adapt well to the body and space it’s in, for both the home and contract. It has sculptural forms and a lovely profile, similar to that of a dinosaur, from which the name comes, particularly those that were herbivorous and that were distinguished for their long and stylish long necks. The armchair is also slender from whichever angle you look at it.’
Available in either leather or Kvadrat fabric, both in monochrome or in the color-block ‘Hayon edition’, the chair appears at once welcoming and severe.
Mesas Explorer
A series of side tables, Explorer 1, 2 and 3 are inspired by the playfulness of jelly-beans, the rounded sweets that children eat in the US. This childlike inspiration has at the same time a very elegant beauty which generally characterizes Hayon’s designs.
‘It’s about new shapes, different objects within the market that want to convert into emblematic pieces. Painting some of the parts with a gloss finish and others in matte at the same time, reflective top surfaces and the different combinations of colors give even more richness to the collection, which pretends to be blatantly decorative’.
Happy Yeti
The Happy Yeti vase follows the Happy Susto ceramic piece created two years ago by Hayon for BD Barcelona Design. It continues the playful vein of the designer’s work, inspired by stories and memories of his childhood: ‘
From when I was little, I always found the Yeti story funny - that snow monster that wants to frighten those that go to the north pole. Converted into a vase, you can put plants in the head so that it looks like it has hair and scares a little more.’
At the same time, the pieces are carefully executed and masterfully finished, in a humorous contrast between form and function: ‘
The little decorations, not only have a decorative purpose, but also can have artistic value and an emotional one where a sense of humour fits in’.
BD Barcelona Design on Archiproducts