We had the distinct pleasure to interview award winning designer Joana Santos Barbosa about their original and creative Dining Chair design work. Joana Santos Barbosa is an award-winning industrial designer, that makes our world a better place with their original dining chair works.
Joana Santos Barbosa ("JSB") answered Design Interview ("DI") questions about their award-winning work Silhouette Dining Chair. Interview questions prepared by Frank Scott.
JSB : The Silhouette dining chair shows contours of a mysterious profile and presents the observer with feminine sensuality. The design uncovers parts of a woman’s body who sits on it and we immediately observe the natural movement of a woman’s hips in the back legs of this elegant chair.
JSB : Inspired by the work of some 20th century artists like Paul Klee that brilliantly represented several realities simultaneously on a single point of view, my intention was to create a beautiful chair that would recreate these joint dimensions of a woman and a chair in one single object.
JSB : Commercially, the Silhouette dining chair features as one of my best-sellers but I really wish to spread both the design and its beautiful inspiration all over the World. That’s why I present the inspiration also in a video that can be seen in this chair page on my website: https://www.insidherland.com/portfolio-items/silhouette-dining-chair/
JSB : I started to design this chair many years ago, but something wasn’t right. The design just wasn’t balanced… So I hang the drawing on the wall and there it stayed for more than one year. I would just pass by a look at it with so much certainty that one day I would get the answers to finish it. When that day arrived, I finished the design and was so happy about it. The entire creative process and production of the prototype took me more than two years. Great designs require patience.
JSB : I always work with conceptual narratives in my designs so there’s always a strong influence for each of them. For Silhouette, I had an image in my mind of a woman sitting on a chair. I pursued this idea until it became reality.
JSB : The Silhouette dining chair is already one of the best-sellers among my designs and is produced by my team, located in the city of Porto in the north of Portugal. We sell this chair all over the World.
JSB : I'm obsessed with transforming concepts and narratives into real pieces through design. The creative process is beautiful and so exciting! I believe that customers around the World really feel the authenticity of the inspiration which allows them to create an emotional connection with a creation that is so more than an object.
JSB : I was influenced by some paintings, not design. For instance, the Pianist drawing of Paul Klee in which this painted represents both the man and his Piano as parts of his own body. I became obsessed with the possibilities of this joint dimension that this drawing inspired both the Silhouette dining chair and the Pianist coffee table, both belonging to my Identity Collection.
JSB : Customers around the world that look for exquisite luxury pieces with an effortless sophisticated vibe.
JSB : For all reasons I mentioned above, I believe that the concept of Silhouette is unique and surely sets the design apart.
JSB : The design of this dining chair shows a line that represents a beautiful Silhouette of a woman’s curves.
JSB : I draw my designs mostly on paper and computer and the prototype evolution occurred at the factory with real scale models.
JSB : Silhouette is a chair that truly transforms a conceptual approach into an elegant creation.
JSB : Silhouette is produced by my team of talented Portuguese artisans. They are the ones who make my goals come true by applying traditional techniques and so much knowledge into the production process.
JSB : Silhouette was completely developed by local artisans, using the knowledge of traditional techniques both in woodwork as in upholstery.
JSB : As mentioned, I had to stop the creative process of this chair for more than a year. The design just wasn’t balanced… Furthermore, there were some challenges regarding the correct angles of the structure in order to receive the seat. The translucent brown shade was also developed in the factory and some experiences were made before choosing the final shade.
JSB : My Niemeyer II armchair won the Gold A’Design Award in last year’s edition and I got a free nomination ticket for this year’s edition. I decided to submit Silhouette and I was pleasantly surprised to receive an new Award!
JSB : Well, what I’m reminded each time I create a new design; that perseverance is such an important quality!
