Skip to main content

Robert Kuo Side Chairs

Chinese artist and designer Robert Kuo is known worldwide for his modern furniture and objets d’art that merge ancient tradition and popular decorative styles such as Art Deco and Art Nouveau.

Born in Beijing, Kuo moved with his family to Taiwan in 1947. While he never received a formal art education, Kuo gained technical expertise working as an apprentice at his father’s cloisonné workshop from the age of 15.

In 1973, Kuo emigrated to the U.S. and opened his own cloisonné studio in Beverly Hills, California. There, he utilized the time-honored skills he learned with his father for a wide range of uniquely striking vases, sculptures and bowls. His Goldfish bowl — a technical masterpiece of vibrant colors and cloisonné designs that appear to float against a black enamel background — was acquired by the Smithsonian’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery for its permanent collection.

In 1984, Kuo opened a showroom in West Hollywood, where it became a favorite among interior designers for the sculptural and often whimsical coffee tables, stools and table lamps on offer. A year later, Kuo shifted his attention toward repoussé — a technique that sees decorative reliefs hammered onto the surface of metals. Examples of Kuo’s repoussé pieces include his black lacquer Cloud chair and Oval coffee table in antique copper.

In 2014, a retrospective exhibition celebrating Kuo’s 30th anniversary as a designer was held at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles and his New York studio. In 2016, he also hosted an exhibition in his New York studio titled “Robert Kuo Selects: Los Angeles Studio Made, Found and Represented Artists,” showcasing his works as well as pieces by prominent L.A. designers Blackman Cruz, Dana John and JF Chen. In 2019, Italian artist Mattia Biagi’s L.A. exhibition “Metropolitan Sets” included Kuo’s Back Rest chair and brass Facet Seat.

Today, Kuo’s works can be seen at the National History Museum in Taipei, Singapore Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco’s Hotel Palomar, the Las Vegas MGM Grand and the Four Seasons in New York.

On 1stDibs, find a range of vintage Robert Kuo decorative objects, seating, lighting and more.

to
4
4
Height
to
Width
to
Depth
to
4
1
1
1
4
4
1
1
1
1
1
4
2
4
353
117
110
90
51
Creator: Robert Kuo
Chair, Black Lacquer by Robert Kuo, Handmade, Limited Edition
Chair, Black Lacquer by Robert Kuo, Handmade, Limited Edition

Chair, Black Lacquer by Robert Kuo, Handmade, Limited Edition

By Robert Kuo

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Chair Black lacquer Hand Repousse Metal base Limited Edition Each piece is individually crafted and is unique. Lacquer is a technique that dates back to the Shang dynasty, circ...

Category

2010s Robert Kuo Side Chairs

Materials

Lacquer

Vanity Seat in Grey Lacquer by Robert Kuo, Limited Edition
Vanity Seat in Grey Lacquer by Robert Kuo, Limited Edition

Vanity Seat in Grey Lacquer by Robert Kuo, Limited Edition

By Robert Kuo

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Vanity seat. Grey lacquer. Handmade. Wood base. Lacquer is a technique that dates back to the Shang dynasty, circa 1600-1100 B.C. These pieces are made with at least 60 coats of org...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Modern Robert Kuo Side Chairs

Materials

Lacquer

Indented Seat, Cream Lacquer and Copper by Robert Kuo, Limited Edition
Indented Seat, Cream Lacquer and Copper by Robert Kuo, Limited Edition

Indented Seat, Cream Lacquer and Copper by Robert Kuo, Limited Edition

By Robert Kuo

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Indented seat Cream lacquer Antique copper Hand repoussé Limited edition Repoussé is the traditional art of hand-hammering decorative relief onto sheet metal. This technique involve...

Category

2010s Robert Kuo Side Chairs

Materials

Copper

Chair, Cream Lacquer by Robert Kuo, Handmade, Limited Edition
Chair, Cream Lacquer by Robert Kuo, Handmade, Limited Edition

Chair, Cream Lacquer by Robert Kuo, Handmade, Limited Edition

By Robert Kuo

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Chair Cream lacquer Hand Repousse Metal base Limited Edition Each piece is individually crafted and is unique. Lacquer is a technique that dates back to the Shang dynasty, circ...

Category

2010s Minimalist Robert Kuo Side Chairs

Materials

Lacquer

Related Items
1980s Limited Edition Black Lacquer and Copper Table by Robert Kuo
1980s Limited Edition Black Lacquer and Copper Table by Robert Kuo

1980s Limited Edition Black Lacquer and Copper Table by Robert Kuo

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

Limited edition lacquer and repousse' table/ bench by Robert Kuo for Maguire.

Category

20th Century Robert Kuo Side Chairs

Materials

Copper

MCM Style Directors Chairs White Chrome Attr Robert Kjer Jakobsen & Virtue Bros
MCM Style Directors Chairs White Chrome Attr Robert Kjer Jakobsen & Virtue Bros

MCM Style Directors Chairs White Chrome Attr Robert Kjer Jakobsen & Virtue Bros

$1,121Sale Price / set|25% Off

H 32 in W 19 in D 16 in

MCM Style Directors Chairs White Chrome Attr Robert Kjer Jakobsen & Virtue Bros

By Robert Kjer Jakobsen, Virtue Brothers

Located in Topeka, KS

Gorgeous pair of MCM a.k.a. Mid-Century Modern Campaign style sling director’s chairs attributed to Robert Kjer Jakobsen for Virtue Brothers. They are in...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Campaign Robert Kuo Side Chairs

Materials

Chrome

Sculptural Stool with Curved Seat Suar Wood, Burnt Finish, Modern Organic
Sculptural Stool with Curved Seat Suar Wood, Burnt Finish, Modern Organic

Sculptural Stool with Curved Seat Suar Wood, Burnt Finish, Modern Organic

Located in Jimbaran, Bali

A wonderfully sculptural stool with a curved seat. The stool's neutral pigment and subtle wood texture makes it perfect for any space. A uniquely sculptural and versatile piece. This...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian Organic Modern Robert Kuo Side Chairs

Materials

Wood, Fruitwood

Vintage Chinese Chippendale Style Lacquered Chair
Vintage Chinese Chippendale Style Lacquered Chair

Vintage Chinese Chippendale Style Lacquered Chair

$2,450

H 48 in W 19.5 in D 18.5 in

Vintage Chinese Chippendale Style Lacquered Chair

By Dorothy Draper

Located in Houston, TX

Vintage Chinese Chippendale style chair in a gorgeous white lacquered finish. This pagoda chair has beautiful detailing and has been professionally uphol...

Category

1960s Unknown Chinese Chippendale Vintage Robert Kuo Side Chairs

Materials

Wood

Pianist Stool in Cream Shagreen, Palm Wood & Bronze-Patina Brass by R&Y Augousti
Pianist Stool in Cream Shagreen, Palm Wood & Bronze-Patina Brass by R&Y Augousti

Pianist Stool in Cream Shagreen, Palm Wood & Bronze-Patina Brass by R&Y Augousti

By R & Y Augousti

Located in New York, NY

The Paris based label has distinguished themselves since their launch, with their iconic use of shagreen mixed with brass and other exotic materials. All furniture is handcrafted by skilled artisans, ultimately making each piece unique, designed in Paris and produced in the Philippines. The pianist stool...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Art Deco Robert Kuo Side Chairs

Materials

Brass

Vintage Chinese Chippendale Style Lacquered Chair
Vintage Chinese Chippendale Style Lacquered Chair

Vintage Chinese Chippendale Style Lacquered Chair

$2,650

H 41.13 in W 21.5 in D 17.25 in

Vintage Chinese Chippendale Style Lacquered Chair

Located in Houston, TX

Vintage Chinese Chippendale style lacquered chair. Vintage Chinese Chippendale style chair in a gorgeous green lacquered finish. This Chino...

Category

1960s Hollywood Regency Vintage Robert Kuo Side Chairs

Materials

Wood

Sculptural Stool with Curved Seat Suar Wood, Modern Organic
Sculptural Stool with Curved Seat Suar Wood, Modern Organic

Sculptural Stool with Curved Seat Suar Wood, Modern Organic

$1,600 / item

H 16.54 in W 31.5 in D 13 in

Sculptural Stool with Curved Seat Suar Wood, Modern Organic

Located in Jimbaran, Bali

A wonderfully sculptural stool with a curved seat. The stool's neutral pigment and subtle wood texture makes it perfect for any space. A uniquely sculptural and versatile piece. This...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian Organic Modern Robert Kuo Side Chairs

Materials

Wood, Fruitwood

Plopp Mini Stool in Polished Copper 'Limited Edition', Zieta
Plopp Mini Stool in Polished Copper 'Limited Edition', Zieta

Plopp Mini Stool in Polished Copper 'Limited Edition', Zieta

By Zieta

Located in Geneve, CH

Plopp mini stool in polished copper (Limited Edition), Zieta Dimensions: Height 19.69 in. x diameter 13.78 in. Height 50 cm x diameter 35 cm Material...

Category

2010s Polish Organic Modern Robert Kuo Side Chairs

Materials

Copper

Hall Side Chair in Waxed and Polished Aluminium Plate by Jonathan Nesci
Hall Side Chair in Waxed and Polished Aluminium Plate by Jonathan Nesci

Hall Side Chair in Waxed and Polished Aluminium Plate by Jonathan Nesci

By Jonathan Nesci

Located in Columbus, IN

Minimalist side chair in .25 inch thick aluminium plate, part of solo nine variations at Mondo Cane Gallery in 2011. Digitally cut aluminium plates intersec...

Category

2010s Minimalist Robert Kuo Side Chairs

Materials

Aluminum

Black November Chair by Ox Denmarq
Black November Chair by Ox Denmarq

Black November Chair by Ox Denmarq

$1,698 / item

H 34.65 in W 29.93 in D 27.96 in

Black November Chair by Ox Denmarq

Located in Geneve, CH

Black November Chair by OxDenmarq Dimensions: D 71 x W 76 x H 88 cm Materials: Leather, Stainless Steel Also Available: Different leather colors and other frame color available, ...

Category

2010s Danish Post-Modern Robert Kuo Side Chairs

Materials

Stainless Steel

Oscar Tusquets, Gaulinetta Chair, Black, Lacquered, LIMITED EDITION
Oscar Tusquets, Gaulinetta Chair, Black, Lacquered, LIMITED EDITION

Oscar Tusquets, Gaulinetta Chair, Black, Lacquered, LIMITED EDITION

By Oscar Tusquets Blanca

Located in Barcelona, ES

Inspired by Enzo Mari and his Tonietta chair, Oscar Tusquets created an adaptation of his Gaulino: The Gaulinetta. Tusquets’ reduction of the Gaulino armrests generates a sleek mode...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Robert Kuo Side Chairs

Materials

Hide, Ash

Guillerme & Chambron, Pair of Oak Stools with Concave Seats, France, Mid-Century
Guillerme & Chambron, Pair of Oak Stools with Concave Seats, France, Mid-Century

Guillerme & Chambron, Pair of Oak Stools with Concave Seats, France, Mid-Century

By Guillerme et Chambron, Votre Maison

Located in New York, NY

Robert Guillerme studied design and architecture at the École Boule, graduating in 1934. After the Second World War he moved to Lille, in the north of France, where he decorated homes and designed furniture for the well regarded Rogier workshops. In 1948 Jacques Chambron left his work as a painter and decorator on the Rue Nollet in Paris, and relocated his family to join Guillerme. The two had met in 1940 while imprisoned by the Germans in East Prussia and bonded over, among other more obvious things, their shared passion for design. In 1949 the pair discovered Émile Dariosecq, a master cabinet maker who had a shop in the city, and who was willing to produce their designs. The three started Votre Maison. The association was destined to be as influential as prolific. Not only did Votre Maison produce over two thousand models during the later half of the twentieth century, it also left an indelible stamp on design of the 50s, 60s and 70s. The company’s output served as a model for a vast field of livable contemporaneous design. The soul of Guillerme et Chambron’s work was in the company’s name (“Your House"). Their focus was as keenly attuned to functionality—furniture’s use in daily life—as to the creation of innovative design. For the pair of designers the home was envisioned as a place where the family could live both comfortably and in aesthetic harmony. Robert Guillerme, who designed most of the work, possessed a limitless creative ambition, producing designs for everything from grand dressers and sideboards to the smallest elements of a space, such as pedestals, shelving, benches, and lighting. This steady output of beautiful furniture bucked convention not merely in the equal emphasis Guillerme placed on function and aesthetics, but in the almost paradoxical creation...

Category

Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Robert Kuo Side Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Oak

Previously Available Items
Back Rest Chair, Black Lacquer by Robert Kuo, Handmade, Limited Edition
Back Rest Chair, Black Lacquer by Robert Kuo, Handmade, Limited Edition

Back Rest Chair, Black Lacquer by Robert Kuo, Handmade, Limited Edition

By Robert Kuo

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Backrest chair Grey lacquer Hand repousse Limited edition Lacquer is a technique that dates back to the Shang dynasty, circa 1600-1100 B.C. The pieces are made with at least 60...

Category

2010s Post-Modern Robert Kuo Side Chairs

Materials

Lacquer

Dian Drum Stool with Brass Trim, Red Lacquer, Limited Edition
Dian Drum Stool with Brass Trim, Red Lacquer, Limited Edition

Dian Drum Stool with Brass Trim, Red Lacquer, Limited Edition

By Robert Kuo

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Dian drum stool. Red lacquer. Brass trim. Hand Repoussé. Lacquer is a technique that dates back to the Shang dynasty, circa 1600-1100 B.C. The pieces are made with at least 196...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Asian Modern Robert Kuo Side Chairs

Materials

Brass

Robert Kuo side chairs for sale on 1stDibs.

Robert Kuo side chairs are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of lacquer and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Robert Kuo side chairs, although red editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original side chairs by Robert Kuo were created in the modern style in east asia during the 21st century and contemporary. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider side chairs by Sun at Six, Seletti, and DeMuro Das. Prices for Robert Kuo side chairs can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $3,000 and can go as high as $9,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $6,870.