Skip to main content

Pedro Friedeberg Sculptures

Mexican, b. 1936

The sculptor and painter Pedro Friedeberg works in a richly detailed, Surrealist and eccentric artistic style that blends influences from neoclassical art, M.C. Escher and native Mesoamerican symbolism. He is best known for his Hand chair — a functional sculpture that is an icon of design-as-art.

Friedeberg was born in Florence to German parents and moved with his mother to Mexico at the outset of World War II. As a university student in Mexico City in the 1950s, he initially studied architecture, but his designs for fantastical buildings ran afoul of his rationalist, Bauhaus-oriented teachers.

By chance, Friedeberg’s drawings came to the attention of Mathias Goeritz, the German-born Dadaist painter and sculptor. He encouraged Friedeberg and made him a protégé. Friedeberg credits his mentor for instilling in him a fanatical attention to detail in his work. Friedeberg produced his first Hand chair in 1961, and has since created numerous iterations. He has also made several variants using other human limbs in different functional forms such as tables and clocks.

While Friedeberg’s sculptures have a gentle character that is sometimes described as spiritual, his paintings and prints are something entirely different. He employs deep perspective to create hypnotic, painstakingly rendered canvases that suggest rooms and cityscapes.

Whatever the medium, Friedeberg’s work is arresting and instantly recognizable. The Hand chair, though familiar, remains a captivating piece — both furniture and artwork — that stands apart in any interior. Examples are often priced between $20,000 and $30,000, depending on formal variations (such as a foot-shaped pedestal), material and condition. Smaller functional items such as tabletop clocks bring about $9,000. His paintings and drawings require space; they are meant to be contemplated. Prices on original examples start at about $30,000; prints generally sell in the region of $900.

As you will see on 1stDibs, the art and design of Pedro Friedeberg is singular and memorable.

to
1
4
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
2
2
1
3
1
3
3
3
2
1
1
3
2
2
2
1
62
214
196
163
132
2
Artist: Pedro Friedeberg
Reloj Astrologico (rare signed bronze sculpture)
By Pedro Friedeberg
Located in Aventura, FL
Bronze sculpture. Incised Pedro Friedberg on the base. Incised PA (artist proof) on the base. Certificate of Authenticity is included. Artwork is in excellent condition. All re...
Category

Late 20th Century Contemporary Pedro Friedeberg Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

"Mano" - Mini version of Hand Chair by Friedeberg, sculpture, colored, black
By Pedro Friedeberg
Located in Ciudad de México, MX
A new and exclusive version of the world-famous Hand Chair created in collaboration with Pedro Friedeberg's studio.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Pedro Friedeberg Sculptures

Materials

Silver

Pedro Friedeberg, "Hand Foot", unique sculpture
By Pedro Friedeberg
Located in Chatsworth, CA
Pedro Friedeberg Unique Hand Foot Sculpture Gilt finished wood Signed PEDRO FRIEDEBERG on bottom of the foot 12 inches tall, 6 inches wide (base of hand), 3 inches wide (base of foot...
Category

1960s Modern Pedro Friedeberg Sculptures

Materials

Wood

"Mano" - Mini version of Hand Chair by Friedeberg, sculpture, tiffany
By Pedro Friedeberg
Located in Ciudad de México, MX
A new and exclusive version of the world-famous Hand Chair created in collaboration with Pedro Friedeberg's studio.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Pedro Friedeberg Sculptures

Materials

Silver

Related Items
Modern High Relief George Bush Cast Metal Sculpture
Located in Houston, TX
Metal sculpture on wood by Houston, Texas modernist sculptor and painter David Adickes. High relief sculpture of George Bush facing right cast in metal and mounted on wood. Signed by artist. Metal Sculpture Diameter: 6" Artist Biography: Born 1927 in Huntsville, Texas, David Pryor...
Category

20th Century Modern Pedro Friedeberg Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Snow - Hooded Bronze Figure with Skis, Light Blue Patina
By Jesus Curia Perez
Located in Chicago, IL
Jesús Curiá Perez Snow bronze and methacrylate 29.50h x 8.75w x 7d in 74.93h x 22.23w x 17.78d cm ed. 1/8 JCP057 Jesús Curiá's sculptures arouse something more than purely aesthetic...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Pedro Friedeberg Sculptures

Materials

Bronze, Steel

1961 Coty Award Plaque Kenneth Hairdresser Jacqueline Onassis Bronze Fashion
Located in New York, NY
1961 Coty Award Plaque Kenneth Hairdresser Jacqueline Onassis Bronze Fashion Bronze on wood. The wood plaque measures 12 3/4" by 20 3/4 inches. The bronze plaque itself is 13 3/4 x 8 3/4 inches and the the bronze inscription, which reads "COTY, American Fashion Critics Special Award 1961 to KENNETH of LILY DACHE...
Category

1960s American Modern Pedro Friedeberg Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Ozempic Gummy bear , street art, pop art, resin, contemporary, sculpture
Located in New York, NY
hand made resin gummy bear Approx 7.5 inch height x 3.5 inch wide x 2.5 inch depth Resin, painted by hand Signed - Each unique piece designed by LA artist Sahara Novotna
Category

2010s Contemporary Pedro Friedeberg Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Alexander the Great Sculpture II /// Contemporary Street Pop Art Joker Bust Head
By Jack Graves III
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Jack Graves III (American, 1988-) Title: "Alexander the Great Sculpture II" Series: Sculpture *Signed, titled, and dated by Grav...
Category

2010s Contemporary Pedro Friedeberg Sculptures

Materials

Cast Stone, Marble

Botox Gummy bear , street art, pop art, resin, contemporary, sculpture
Located in New York, NY
hand made resin gummy bear Approx 7.5 inch height x 3.5 inch wide x 2.5 inch depth Resin, painted by hand Signed - Each unique piece designed by LA artist Sahara Novotna
Category

2010s Contemporary Pedro Friedeberg Sculptures

Materials

Resin, Plastic, Acrylic

Keith Haring Bearbrick 400% figure (Haring Mickey Mouse BE@RBRICK)
By (after) Keith Haring
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Keith Haring Mickey Mouse Bearbrick: Set of two (400% & 100%): A unique, timeless collectible trademarked & licensed by the Estate of Keith Haring. The partnered collectible reveals Keith Haring's Mickey Mouse artwork...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Pedro Friedeberg Sculptures

Materials

Resin, Vinyl

They were the Authentic Vespa Riders in Rome (Bronze with Deep Bronze Patina)
By Gillie and Marc Schattner
Located in New York, NY
A whimsical yet very strong piece depicting the two figures from Gillie and Marc's iconic figures of the Dog/Bunny Human Hybrid, which has picked up much esteem across the globe. Her...
Category

2010s Contemporary Pedro Friedeberg Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

EVITA: QUEEN OF ARGENTINA (One of a Kind Swarovski Skull w/ Custom Base + Crown)
By Mauro Oliveira
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
**STORE CLOSURE - UP TO 80% OFF - TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT** ***EVERYTHING MUST GO BY DECEMBER 31ST!*** >>The artist is moving to a new full time venture in 2026<< _______________________________________________________ ***Looking for one of kind precious high ending art piece that no one else will have? This is one of them!*** Absolutely and positively ONE OF A KIND skull creation encrusted with genuine Swarovski and Czech crystals. The ultimate homage to Evita Peron...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Pedro Friedeberg Sculptures

Materials

Metal, Bronze

Jackson Pollock Bearbrick 400% figure (Jackson Pollock BE@RBRICK)
By Jackson Pollock
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Jackson Pollock 400% & 100% Bearbrick Vinyl Figure (set of 2): A rare highly collectible Bearbrick Jackson Pollock statue piece, splattered from head to toe in Pollock’s signature a...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Pedro Friedeberg Sculptures

Materials

Resin, Vinyl

"Neighborling Maquette 29" Humanoid House Rotunda with Spire Sculpture
By Seth Clark
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This piece, titled "Neighborling Maquette 29" is an original free-standing sculpture by Seth Clark as part of his newest solo exhibition, "Passing Through". Clark's deteriorating st...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Pedro Friedeberg Sculptures

Materials

Wood, Paper, Acrylic, Resin

Bronze Heron Sculpture by Wayne F Williams
Located in Rochester, NY
Bronze heron by American sculptor Wayne Williams. Signed and dated 1993. Edition 2/2. Mounted on a walnut base. From Finger Lakes Magazine 2001: Art is everywhere in the Finger Lakes. Inspired by the region’s diverse scenery and lifestyles, artists pursue their creativity outdoors, in studios and in workshops. In the many well-established museums and galleries or at the newer fledgling arts organizations, a wide array of artistic styles and talents are represented. Often the artists, like Wayne Williams, share their artistic skill and passion through teaching at local colleges. Williams, who is retired after a 35-year career at Finger Lakes Community College, found his calling there. “I didn’t want to teach in public schools,” explains Williams of his career choice. “I wanted to be at the college level. CCFL (the Community College of the Finger Lakes, as it was then known) was literally creating a college, right from scratch.” The year was 1968 and Williams was charged with coordinating the new college’s art program. Rand Darrow, a CCFL student in that first year, remembers attending Williams’ art classes in a commercial building on Main Street just south of the railroad tracks in Canandaigua. Darrow appreciated his instructor’s relaxed manner. “He was a great teacher,” recalls Darrow, “cracking jokes all the time.” Darrow graduated with a major in Liberal Arts and continued on to SUNY Oswego where he earned a BA in fine arts. He taught art to elementary and middle school students for 30 years. These days Williams and Darrow typically cross paths at the Wayne County Arts Council in Newark where Williams and his wife, Marleen, are heavily involved. Williams offers classes in figure drawing and sculpture and hangs the gallery’s shows, including his former student’s “Slavic Tales of Novgorod” this past August. “I’d like to take a sculpture class from him,” says Darrow. In 2003 when Williams retired, the college honored him and another retiring art professor, Tom Insalaco, by renaming its art gallery the Williams-Insalaco Art Gallery. It was known formerly as Gallery 34 to recognize its origins at 34 North Main Street in Canandaigua. Williams held professor’s rank from 1976 and served as director of the art gallery beginning with its opening in 1983. Williams, who was born and raised in Newark, New York, says he began doing art at about age 8. By the time he was in junior high school his career direction seemed clear. He received local and national awards for his art and a scholarship to Syracuse University, from which he graduated in 1958 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in sculpture. He continued with graduate work at Syracuse, receiving an MFA in sculpture in 1962. He worked full time as a sculptor until he began teaching. At one point Williams admits he wanted to be a painter, but didn’t want to adopt the abstract expressionist style in vogue in the 1950s, preferring to pursue the realist tradition. He advises any would-be artist to “do what you do because you love it.” After graduation he traveled abroad, spending time in Belgium, the land of his ancestors. “My family’s name was originally Willems,” explains the 73-year old who still relishes the time spent in the Flemish countryside. Williams speaks excitedly about art, referencing the lives of great artists. He acknowledges that American artists do not have the same stature as those in Europe, where Old Masters like Brueghel and Rembrandt are national heroes. These days the energetic Williams, known primarily as a sculptor, is active at the Phelps Arts Center where he is on the board of directors. In mid-September when a group of visitors on a motor coach tour explored artworks displayed in the beautiful church-turned- gallery, they were treated to a large number of Williams’ bronze and metal sculptures, along with his charcoal drawings. “I’ve always loved his work because he deals with things, people, and animals you understand,” says the center’s Director Emeritus Marion Donnelly, who has known him for many years. Outside the Phelps Community Historical Society, Williams’ life-size figure of a farmer raises his pitchfork above a colorful flower garden on the front lawn. Inspired by the peasants working the fields in Europe, the metal figure is shown with wooden shoes. This is Williams’ largest copper piece, loaned to the Phelps museum in connection with Artistry in Sculpture, a community exhibition in 2009. Williams added a new base using a metal wagon...
Category

20th Century Modern Pedro Friedeberg Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Previously Available Items
Piedra Filosofal (Philosopher Stone) (8/10)
By Pedro Friedeberg
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist and designer Pedro Friedeberg is known for his surrealist paintings, prints, and sculptural furniture. He was the subject of a 2009 retrospective at the Museo del Palacio de B...
Category

2010s Abstract Geometric Pedro Friedeberg Sculptures

Materials

Gold Leaf

Handchair
By Pedro Friedeberg
Located in Ciudad de México, MX
This piece is one of the most emblematic and well none pieces of the artist. The design of this piece is 1962, it was inicially a joke with another artist and was either recognise by...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Pedro Friedeberg Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic, Linen, Oil

Handchair
Handchair
H 18.5 in W 9.05 in D 9.05 in
BANCA ZIGURATICA NINIVESCA DE 3 PLAZAS (SCULPTURE)
By Pedro Friedeberg
Located in Aventura, FL
Wood sculpture with gold color trim. Hand signed and numbered on the underside by the artist. From the edition of 4. Certificate of Authenticity is included. Artwork is in excellent condition. All reasonable offers will be considered. About the Artist: Pedro Friedeberg is a contemporary Mexican artist...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Pedro Friedeberg Sculptures

Materials

Wood

FRUTERO TRIPIE (SCULPTURE)
By Pedro Friedeberg
Located in Aventura, FL
Hand painted wood sculpture. Hand signed on the underside by the artist. Edition of 2. Certificate of Authenticity is included. Artwork is in excellent condition. All reasonable ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Pedro Friedeberg Sculptures

Materials

Wood

SILLA DE GOBERNATE CUADRO (SCULPTURE)
By Pedro Friedeberg
Located in Aventura, FL
Wood sculpture with gold color trim. Hand signed and numbered on the underside by the artist. PA (artist proof) edition. Certificate of Authenticity is included. Artwork is in e...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Pedro Friedeberg Sculptures

Materials

Wood

SILLA DE REGLA TRIANGULO (SCULPTURE)
By Pedro Friedeberg
Located in Aventura, FL
Wood sculpture with gold color trim. Hand signed and numbered on the underside by the artist. PA (artist proof) edition. Certificate of Authenticity is included. Artwork is in excellent condition. All reasonable offers will be considered. About the Artist: Pedro Friedeberg is a contemporary Mexican artist...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Pedro Friedeberg Sculptures

Materials

Wood

SILLA DE PIE Y MANO (LARGE)
By Pedro Friedeberg
Located in Aventura, FL
Carved wood sculpture. Engraved artist signature on the underside. Certificate of Authenticity is included. Please do not hesitate to ask us any further questions. All reasonable ...
Category

1970s Contemporary Pedro Friedeberg Sculptures

Materials

Wood

SILLA POLICROMADA (SCULPTURE)
By Pedro Friedeberg
Located in Aventura, FL
Bronze sculpture. Engraved artist signature and edition on the underside. From the edition of 8. Certificate of Authenticity is included. Please do not hesitate to ask us any fu...
Category

2010s Contemporary Pedro Friedeberg Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Hands (surrealist Mexican artist sculpture)
By Pedro Friedeberg
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
PEDRO FRIEDEBERG (b. 1937): HANDS Three wood with gold paint, two signed 'Pedro Freideberg' on the bottom, one signed with initials 'PF' on a label on the bottom. Moon 8 1/2 x 2 x 1 in., Middle Finger 7 1/2 x 2 1/2 x 2 in. and 5 1/2 x 2 x 1 in. Biography: Friedeberg was born in Florence, Italy, on January 11, 1936, the son of German-Jewish parents, Friedeberg arrived in Mexico at the age of three. Having shown an early inclination for drawing and reading, he studied architecture at the Universidad Iberoamericana, where he was profoundly influenced by the teaching of Mathias Goeritz, a German-Mexican artist...
Category

1970s Surrealist Pedro Friedeberg Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Pedro Friedeberg sculptures for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Pedro Friedeberg sculptures available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Pedro Friedeberg in wood, gold leaf, gold and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Pedro Friedeberg sculptures, so small editions measuring 6 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Felipe Castañeda, Igael Tumarkin, and Alejandro Santiago. Pedro Friedeberg sculptures prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $2,450 and tops out at $50,000, while the average work can sell for $7,200.

Recently Viewed

View All