Carla Tolomeo Lounge Chairs
Carla Tolomeo creates whimsical and otherworldly pieces of art and furniture. With works that take on a range of natural-world forms such as palm trees, crescent moons and butterflies, Tolomeo’s lavish and imaginative seating creatively bridges sculpture and design.
Born in Pinerolo near Turin, Italy, in 1945, Tolomeo spent most of her childhood in Rome. She involved herself in art early in life, learning from leading Italian artists like Giorgio de Chirico, Renato Guttuso, Franco Gentilini and Ugo Attardi.
In 1971, Tolomeo had her first exhibition in Lugano, Switzerland. She went on to teach engraving at the Brera Academy and the Venetian Academy of Art. Through the 1990s, she focused solely on fine art, varying her disciplines between oil painting, engraving and other media.
In 1997, Tolomeo decided to challenge her artistic vision through the creation of pieces that she christened “Chairs-Sculptures.” She impressed critics and collectors alike with her boldly unconventional furniture. An early Tolomeo chair design garnered interest from the likes of Hermès and Neiman Marcus — she has since utilized textiles from Hermès in her works as well as fabrics created by Missoni.
Tolomeo sees her furniture as an extension of her art, with the three-dimensional structures juxtaposing the real and the unreal. Working with velvet, silk and foam rubber, she instills luxurious comfort into her curious sofas and other pieces such as beds. Their ostentatious ornamentation accents any space with a touch of magic.
Find Carla Tolomeo furniture and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Carla Tolomeo Lounge Chairs
Silk
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Carla Tolomeo Lounge Chairs
Steel
Early 2000s Italian Modern Carla Tolomeo Lounge Chairs
Polystyrene
2010s Lebanese Post-Modern Carla Tolomeo Lounge Chairs
Oak
1960s Italian Space Age Vintage Carla Tolomeo Lounge Chairs
Stainless Steel, Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Neoclassical Carla Tolomeo Lounge Chairs
Gold Leaf
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Carla Tolomeo Lounge Chairs
Metal
2010s Dutch Modern Carla Tolomeo Lounge Chairs
Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Carla Tolomeo Lounge Chairs
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Art Deco Carla Tolomeo Lounge Chairs
Metal, Brass
2010s Spanish Modern Carla Tolomeo Lounge Chairs
Wood
2010s Danish Post-Modern Carla Tolomeo Lounge Chairs
Iron
2010s Spanish Modern Carla Tolomeo Lounge Chairs
Wood