Roberto Matta Armchairs

Chilean, 1911-2002

“The function of art,” the Surrealist Roberto Matta once stated, “is to unveil the enormous economic, cultural and emotional forces that materially interact in our lives and that constitute the real space in which we live.” In his paintings, Matta sought to expose those forces through the Surrealist practice of automatism, creating work in a free-associative state intended to conjure the unconscious.

After studying architecture in his native Chile, Matta, then 22, chose to pursue the field in Paris, where he mingled with stars of the avant-garde like Gertrude Stein, Salvador Dalí and Walter Gropius. In the late 1930s, he abandoned Paris, together with his job at Le Corbusier’s studio and (for a time) his career, for modern art’s new epicenter, New York City. There, he became a colleague of art legends like Marcel Duchamp and Arshile Gorky.

Although celebrated primarily for his work as a painter, Matta was an equally talented furniture designer. His furniture pieces, like his artworks, are the stuff of dreams. The back of his totem chair, for example, is composed of smiling, cartoonish creatures stacked on top of each other. In his MAgriTTA armchair, the top half of a plush green apple sticks out of large black bowler in homage to its namesake, the Belgian Surrealist René Magritte.

But perhaps the piece that most truly embodies his artistic philosophy is his 1966 Mallite modular system: a collection of spongy, undulating sofas and lounges that can be fitted together to form a puzzle-like room divider. The work, an original edition of which is in MoMA’s permanent collection, has in recent decades been a hard-to-find collectors’ item — until 2019, when Italian design brand Paradisoterrestre issued a reedition, available through Duplex.

Browse Roberto Matta's paintings and furniture designs on 1stDibs.

Creator: Roberto Matta

Sacco Alato Bronze Armchair by Roberto Matta Paradisoterrestre Edition

$30,697 / item

Sacco Alato Bronze Armchair by Roberto Matta Paradisoterrestre Edition

By Paradisoterrestre, Roberto Matta

Located in Ozzano Dell'emilia, IT

Designed in 1971 - Paradisoterrestre Edition 2019 This “functional work of art” represents in an exemplary way the concept of Ultramobile, operation conceived by Dino Gavina in 1971 with the aim of adapting in a surprising way the surrealist object to daily use. Sacco Alato was born in foundry while making Margarita, casting a bag of concrete and splitting it in two. Lacking any other props, the big road rocks provided the feet for this seat/sculpture. Almost 50 years after the first prototypes and the very few works produced by Simon International, the re-edition of Sacco Alato in the historical...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Roberto Matta Armchairs

Materials

Bronze

Margarita Bronze Armchair by Roberto Matta Paradisoterrestre Edition

$31,739 / item

Margarita Bronze Armchair by Roberto Matta Paradisoterrestre Edition

By Paradisoterrestre, Roberto Matta

Located in Ozzano Dell'emilia, IT

Designed in 1971 - Paradisoterrestre Edition 2019 This “functional work of art” represents in an exemplary way the concept of Ultramobile, operation conceived by Dino Gavina in 1971 with the aim of adapting in a surprising way the surrealist object to daily use. Margarita was cast in bronze the first time to fix an idea: it is a petrol can, opened up like a daisy, a barrel turned into a tribal throne. Almost 50 years after the first prototypes and the very few works produced by Simon International, the re-edition of Margarita in the historical bronze...

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21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Roberto Matta Armchairs

Materials

Bronze

1970s MAgriTTA Chair Roberto Matta for Simon Gavina Editions, Italy, 1970

$4,650Sale Price|25% Off

1970s MAgriTTA Chair Roberto Matta for Simon Gavina Editions, Italy, 1970

By Simon Gavina Editions, Roberto Matta

Located in Camden, ME

"Roberto Matta designed this chair as a tribute to his friend and fellow surrealist painter René Magritte. The apple and black bowler hat are derived from Magritte's 1946 self-portra...

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1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Roberto Matta Armchairs

Materials

Foam, Polyester

Margarita Aluminium Armchair by Roberto Matta Paradisoterrestre Edition

$28,119 / item

Margarita Aluminium Armchair by Roberto Matta Paradisoterrestre Edition

By Paradisoterrestre, Roberto Matta

Located in Ozzano Dell'emilia, IT

Designed in 1971 - Paradisoterrestre Edition 2019 This “functional work of art” represents in an exemplary way the concept of Ultramobile, operation conceived by Dino Gavina in 1971...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Roberto Matta Armchairs

Materials

Aluminum

Sacco Alato Aluminium Armchair by Roberto Matta Paradisoterrestre Edition

$27,077 / item

Sacco Alato Aluminium Armchair by Roberto Matta Paradisoterrestre Edition

By Paradisoterrestre, Roberto Matta

Located in Ozzano Dell'emilia, IT

Designed in 1971 - Paradisoterrestre Edition 2019 This “functional work of art” represents in an exemplary way the concept of Ultramobile, operation conceived by Dino Gavina in 1971...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Roberto Matta Armchairs

Materials

Aluminum

Alidor resin armchair by Roberto Matta

$21,780

Alidor resin armchair by Roberto Matta

By Roberto Matta

Located in Ozzano Dell'emilia, IT

Between art and design, the Alidor armchair by Surrealist artist Roberto Matta has a resin structure and a biomorphic cushion. Limited edition 25/1000 with engraved number and artis...

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1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Roberto Matta Armchairs

Materials

Resin

Amatta armchair by Roberto Matta Paradisoterrestre Edition 2024

$16,662 / item

Amatta armchair by Roberto Matta Paradisoterrestre Edition 2024

By Paradisoterrestre, Roberto Matta

Located in Ozzano Dell'emilia, IT

Amatta is a resin armchair with sinuous, fluid, soft and rounded lines, created in 1974 by Roberto Matta. He cuddled up in the Amatta and shaped it through his own body. The armcha...

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21st Century and Contemporary Italian Roberto Matta Armchairs

Materials

Resin

Set of 4 Pigreco Chairs by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Gavina, Italy 1960s

$4,477 / set

H 24.02 in W 22.05 in D 17.33 in

Set of 4 Pigreco Chairs by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Gavina, Italy 1960s

By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Gavina

Located in Roma, IT

Fabulous set of four "Pigreco" chairs. These iconic chairs were designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa and produced by Gavina in Italy in the 1960s. This stylish chairs feature a stunnin...

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Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Roberto Matta Armchairs

Materials

Faux Leather, Wood

Mid-Century set of "Tulu" Chairs by Kazhuide Takahama for Simon Gavina, Italy '68

$2,904 / set

H 28.75 in W 17.72 in D 16.93 in

Mid-Century set of "Tulu" Chairs by Kazhuide Takahama for Simon Gavina, Italy '68

By Simon Gavina Editions, Kazuhide Takahama

Located in Sacile, PN

Set of four "Tulu" chairs by Kazuhide Takahama for Gavina Studio Simon, 1968. This set is for the first series because is without the crossbar on the front of the seat. New foa...

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1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Roberto Matta Armchairs

Materials

Metal, Chrome

Chair model "Jano" design Kazuide Takahama For Simon Gavina, 1970s

$459

H 31.89 in W 20.87 in D 21.26 in

Chair model "Jano" design Kazuide Takahama For Simon Gavina, 1970s

By Gavina, Kazuhide Takahama

Located in taranto, IT

Rare chair model jano design kazuide takahama for Simon gavina , 1970s Structure in tubular steel and seat and back upholstery in fabric Height 81 cm, width 53 cm, depth 54 cm...

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1970s Vintage Roberto Matta Armchairs

Materials

Steel

Black laquered and leather chair “Kazuki” by K. Takahama for Simon Gavina 70's

$1,076 / item

H 44.1 in W 16.54 in D 16.54 in

Black laquered and leather chair “Kazuki” by K. Takahama for Simon Gavina 70's

By Kazuhide Takahama, Simon Gavina Editions

Located in Padova, IT

Kazuhide Takahama - Nobeoka 1930 - Bologna 2010 - was a Japanese architect and designer.  Takahama, born in 1930, he studied architecture in Tokyo and after graduating he joined the ...

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1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Roberto Matta Armchairs

Materials

Leather, Wood

Tobia Scarpa, Set of four Pigreco wooden Chairs for Gavina, Italy (1959)

$7,260

H 24.02 in W 21.66 in D 16.93 in

Tobia Scarpa, Set of four Pigreco wooden Chairs for Gavina, Italy (1959)

By Tobia Scarpa, Gavina

Located in Argelato, BO

The Pigreco chair was designed by the famous Italian architect Tobia Scarpa in 1959 for the Gavina company. This is an extremely important work in Scarpa's artistic career, in fact i...

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1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Roberto Matta Armchairs

Materials

Leather, Wood

Black Sculptural Three-Legged Armchair in Resin-Covered Foam by Michal Cihlar

$3,000 / item

H 32 in W 27 in D 28 in

Black Sculptural Three-Legged Armchair in Resin-Covered Foam by Michal Cihlar

By Michal Cihlar

Located in Brooklyn, NY

The three legged armchair is an experiment in construction and finish, its form inspired by a 13th-century Mycenaean terracotta sculpture — “Fema...

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2010s American Modern Roberto Matta Armchairs

Materials

Resin, Foam

‘Hall’ armchair, designed in 1958 by Roberto Menghi for Arflex

$7,865

H 32.29 in W 38.98 in D 33.08 in

‘Hall’ armchair, designed in 1958 by Roberto Menghi for Arflex

By Arflex, Roberto Menghi

Located in Wolfurt, AT

‘Hall’ armchair, designed in 1958 by Roberto Menghi for Arflex. Metal frame with fabric upholstery, sculptural design with slender, tapered legs and voluminous seat. In 1959, the mod...

Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Roberto Matta Armchairs

Materials

Metal

Vintage 1970s chair model "Jano" design K. Takahama for Simon Gavina

$696Sale Price|20% Off

H 29.14 in W 20.87 in D 19.69 in

Vintage 1970s chair model "Jano" design K. Takahama for Simon Gavina

By Kazuhide Takahama, Simon Gavina Editions

Located in None, IT

Chair with chrome metal frame and blue velvet upholstery, model "Jano" design Kazuhide Takahama for Simon Gavina, 1970s. CONDITION: In good condition, may show signs of wear given b...

Category

1970s Italian Modern Vintage Roberto Matta Armchairs

Materials

Metal

Set of 8 mod. Rennie by Kazuhide Takahama for Simon Gavina, 1970

$9,075 / set

H 44.1 in W 23.63 in D 9.85 in

Set of 8 mod. Rennie by Kazuhide Takahama for Simon Gavina, 1970

By Kazuhide Takahama, Simon Gavina Editions

Located in Piacenza, Italy

Stunning set composed by 8 chairs designed by Kazuhide Takahama and produced for Simon Gavina. Original lacquered wood structure with leather cover and seat. Perfect vintage conditi...

Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Roberto Matta Armchairs

Materials

Leather, Wood

Arflex Hall Armchair Black & White Riga Fabric and Wenge Legs by Roberto Menghi

$5,976Sale Price / item|20% Off

H 32.29 in W 38.98 in D 33.86 in

Arflex Hall Armchair Black & White Riga Fabric and Wenge Legs by Roberto Menghi

By Arflex, Roberto Menghi

Located in Brooklyn, NY

We are at the end of the ‘50s: an interesting series of armchairs and sofas, designed by Roberto Menghi and called Hall, joins arflex collection. Hall armchair receives in 1959 the h...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Roberto Matta Armchairs

Materials

Wood

Kazuhide Takahama Armchair for Simon Gavina, Ivory and Brown Velvet, 1965

$6,000

H 24.41 in W 35.44 in D 32.68 in

Kazuhide Takahama Armchair for Simon Gavina, Ivory and Brown Velvet, 1965

By Simon Gavina Editions, Kazuhide Takahama

Located in Lonigo, Veneto

Kazuhide Takahama armchair for Simon Gavina, Ivory and Brown Velvet, Italy, 1965 A masterclass in quiet precision. Designed in 1965 by Kazuhide Takahama for Simon Gavina, this armch...

Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Roberto Matta Armchairs

Materials

Metal

Arflex Hall Armchair in Fabric Riga by Roberto Menghi

$7,770Sale Price / item|20% Off

H 32.29 in W 38.98 in D 33.86 in

Arflex Hall Armchair in Fabric Riga by Roberto Menghi

By Arflex, Roberto Menghi

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Hall Armchair is designed by Roberto Menghi for Arflex. This armchair receives in 1959 the honorable mention for the Compasso d’Oro. We are at the end of the ‘50s: an interesting ser...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Roberto Matta Armchairs

Materials

Metal

Roberto Matta armchairs for sale on 1stDibs.

Roberto Matta armchairs are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Roberto Matta armchairs, although green editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 3 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 4 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original armchairs by Roberto Matta were created in the mid-century modern style in italy during the 21st century and contemporary. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider armchairs by Augusto Betti, Marzio Cecchi, and Carlo Scarpa. Prices for Roberto Matta armchairs can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $2,581 and can go as high as $27,526, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $23,464.

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Questions About Roberto Matta Armchairs

What kind of art did Roberto Matta do?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
Chilean-born Roberto Matta is a modern art painter primarily known for his work in blending surrealism with abstract expressionism. You can shop a selection of expertly vetted Fairfield Porter pieces from some of the world’s top art dealers on 1stDibs.
What type of art did Roberto Matta do?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
Roberto Matta is a painter who became a noted part of the Surrealist movement. Born Roberto Antonio Sebastian Matta Echaurren in 1922 in Santiago, Chile, the artist began his professional life as an architect and slowly switched to painting. His work often featured complex biomorphic forms in disturbing settings, making him an important influence in the post World War II era. Shop a selection of Roberto Matta pieces from some of the world’s top art dealers on 1stDibs.

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