Not currently on display at the V&A

Fat Chair

Armchair
1991 (designed), 1992 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Tom Dixon emerged as one of Britain's most innovative designers through his work in the eighties with Creative Salvage, a group dedicated to producing furniture and decorative objects made from scrap metal.
His London workshop produced limited editions of furniture, while some of his designs were produced commercially by the Italian manufacturer Cappellini. This chair was bought by the V & A as an example of Dixon's furniture in mass production, as opposed to the hand finished products from his own workshop (see W.6-1993). In 1998 Dixon was appointed Head of Design at Habitat, the furniture store chain started by Terence Conran in 1964.

Dixon had no formal training except lessons in welding. Hand crafting furniture from welded steel was central to Tom Dixon's work. This chair was originally designed as part of a small, made to order series. Working alongside the manufacturer, Dixon adapted this design for a wider market.

The hand-made ethos of Dixon's furniture remains in the continued use of rush upholstery. On this model, the rush work is produced by machine, rather than by hand as can be seen on his ‘S-Chair’.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleFat Chair (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Steel rod with rush upholstery
Brief description
Tom Dixon, Fat Chair, 1991, man. Cappellini 1992
Physical description
Steel rod with rush upholstery
Dimensions
  • Height: 78.5cm
  • Width: 75cm
  • Depth: 72cm
Gallery label
  • 'Fat Chair' Designed by Tom Dixon (British, born 1959), 1991 Made by Cappellini s.p.a., Italy Metal frame with rush upholstery 1992 Tom Dixon emerged as one of Britain's most innovative designers through his 1980s work with Creative Salvage, the group dedicated to producing furniture and decorative objects made from scrap metal. Since then his London workshop has produced limited editions of furniture while some of his designs, such as this, have also been produced commercially by the Italian manufacturer Cappellini. Gift of the Manufacturer(April 1993)
  • 'Fat Chair' Designed by Tom Dixon (British, born 1959) Made by Capellini, Arosio, Italy, 1992 Steel rod with rush upholstery Hand-crafting furniture from welded steel has been central to Tom Dison's work since the mid-1980s. this chair was originally made as part of a small, made-to-order series. Recently, Dixon began working with a prominent Italian manufacturer, Cappellini, to adapt the designs for a wider market. This has resulted in chairs which reveal their handmade origins only in the continued use of rush upholstery. Given by maker(August 1993)
Credit line
Gift of the manufacturer
Object history
This chair was collected as an example of Dixon's furniture in mass production, as opposed to hand finished products from his own workshop (see W.6-1993).
Summary
Tom Dixon emerged as one of Britain's most innovative designers through his work in the eighties with Creative Salvage, a group dedicated to producing furniture and decorative objects made from scrap metal.
His London workshop produced limited editions of furniture, while some of his designs were produced commercially by the Italian manufacturer Cappellini. This chair was bought by the V & A as an example of Dixon's furniture in mass production, as opposed to the hand finished products from his own workshop (see W.6-1993). In 1998 Dixon was appointed Head of Design at Habitat, the furniture store chain started by Terence Conran in 1964.

Dixon had no formal training except lessons in welding. Hand crafting furniture from welded steel was central to Tom Dixon's work. This chair was originally designed as part of a small, made to order series. Working alongside the manufacturer, Dixon adapted this design for a wider market.

The hand-made ethos of Dixon's furniture remains in the continued use of rush upholstery. On this model, the rush work is produced by machine, rather than by hand as can be seen on his ‘S-Chair’.
Collection
Accession number
W.5-1993

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Record createdNovember 1, 2001
Record URL
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