Sculpture or stool? For Brazilian designer Pedro Venzon, the Tríptico Infame is an artistic expression inspired by his ongoing interest in religious art, asceticism, and sin.

The Tríptico Infame is Pedro Venzon’s latest furniture series that features a trio of hand-carved, sculptural wooden stools including the Anca, Coito, and Teta. The uniquely shaped stools consist of a series of stacked geometric forms that appear to be precariously balanced on one another. On top of each stool, a bowl-shaped piece with a flat top allows users to sit, doubling it as a piece of functional furniture.

Award-winning Brazillian furniture designer Pedro Venzon has long been creating unique objects and artifacts that blurs the line between art and functionality. He attributed his work and unique creations to his ongoing interests and studies in colonialism, religious art, asceticism, and sin, which he abstractly combines with the contemporary and modern furniture design of Brazil. The result is a refreshing take on stools that strike a balance between severity and lightness, separation and unity, sacred and profane, and above all, aesthetics and functionality.

The name of the series “Tríptico Infame” loosely translates to "Infamous Triptych” in English. Triptych is an art piece divided into three sections, most commonly observed as multi-panel art from early Christian art that can be found in the format of altar paintings. It is also given the name due to the three design principles the series was inspired by - the Triptych in Christian art, the aesthetics of the human body, and the respect Venzon has towards modern Brazilian furniture design.

To pay homage to modern Brazilian furniture design, Venzon uses tropical hardwood meticulously carved to the desired shapes and sizes. The minimal, geometric shapes and wood material were inspired by the works of Brazil’s influential furniture designer, Zanine Caldas, who also uses primarily wood in his works, and the late Brazilian architect, Sergio Rodrigues, who was known for bringing Brazilian designs to the international stage.

To adhere to the triptych theme, Venzon created unity not only within the geometric shapes of the stools itself but also between the Anca, Coito, and Teta. Each individual stool reclaims certain imagery of sins and flesh of the human body created with minimal elements. Based on Venzon’s explanation, the stools are reminiscent of the twisting of the body, materialized in minimal forms. “For each piece, I made a cutout of this body geometry and alternatively speaking, thematic and conceptual performance”, explains Venzon.

The design inspiration behind the Tríptico Infame may seem abstract in theory, but it has the ability to create dialogues with unique narratives that set the stage for contemporary art and furniture design today. As a furniture piece, these stools can effortlessly beautify any home with their elegant forms that look nothing short of a sculpture art piece. We’re constantly inspired by new innovative designs like the Tríptico Infame which bridges the gap between sculpture and furniture, and we can’t wait to see more of Venzon’s future creations.

To learn more about the Tríptico Infame collection and other works by the talented Pedro Venzon, visit here.

Photography Curtesy of Pedro Venzon