Designer Trent Jansen is at the forefront of design anthropology, a furniture and interior design movement in which designers and anthropologists work closely to produce products informed by the symbolism and visual principles of other cultures.
Each piece he designs has a rough, primal energy derived from a variety of techniques, whether incorporating scales into the surface of a side table or suggesting a spider’s shape through the form of a bench. Jansen holds immense respect for heritage, reverently and conscientiously embedding cultural identity and history in his pieces.
Jansen grew up in the small town of Kiama on the southeast Australian coast. He began his studies at the Industrial Design School of the University of Alberta in Canada and then transferred to the College of Fine Arts at the University of New South Wales, where he received his bachelor’s degree in design. He later earned a PhD from the University of Wollongong.
He then worked under Dutch designer Marcel Wanders in Amsterdam. In 2004, Jansen returned to Australia and opened his design studio in Sydney. Eventually, he relocated to Thirroul on the southern coast of Australia’s New South Wales.
Jansen has exhibited his work in solo and group shows worldwide, including at the National Gallery of Victoria, Australia, and venues in Singapore, Beijing and Milan. His awards include the 2008 Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Award, the Australia Council for the Arts “Project Funding” Award in 2019 and 2017 and a 2021 Design Files + Laminex Design Award.
Today, Jansen continues to design new pieces and create outstanding works of furniture out of his studio in Thirroul.
On 1stDibs, find an intriguing array of Trent Jansen seating, tables, storage pieces and more.
Pregnant chair by Trent Jansen and Marcel Wanders for Moooi, 2008
By Trent Jansen, MARCEL WANDERS, Moooi
Located in Steenwijk, NL
This is a very special, fun and playful chair. The so called 'Pregnant Chair' was designed by Trent Jansen in cooperation with Marcel Wanders for Moooi....
Wood
$43,035
Kutitji Chair / Shield
By Trent Jansen
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Trent Jansen is a designer based in Thirroul, Australia, and Lecturer at the University of New South Wales Art & Design, Sydney Australia. Jansen gained his PhD from the Universi...
Cherry, Maple, Walnut
Kutitji Chair by Trent Jansen: Design Anthropology & Australian Craft (2/8)
By Trent Jansen
Located in Paddington, NSW
The Kutitji Chair by Australian designer Trent Jansen is a deeply expressive collectible piece shaped by his signature method of Design Anthropology—an approach that blends research,...
Walnut
$1,800
H 38 in W 24.25 in D 20.25 in
Antique Italian Savonarola Dante Chair Carved Oak Renaissance Lion Shield
Located in Tyler, TX
Antique Italian Renaissance Revival Oak "Savonarola" or "Dante" Chair~~early 20th Century These chairs, often called scissor or "X" chairs, are typically supported by two crossed or curved supports at the sides or back and front~~these chairs were given the name Savonarola in the 19th century after Girolamo Savonarola, an Italian priest in Florence from 1494-1498~~the design comes from an ancient Roman "X" shaped chair that was popular in medieval Italy...
Oak
Chair D
By Chuch Estudio
Located in Mérida, MX
The handwoven technique of the 'Petatillo' in Yucatan has been practiced for more than 50 years. Usually, it is woven with natural cane. This is one hundred percent artisan work, whi...
Nylon, Wood
Japanese Wooden block chair /wabi-sabi chair / private chair /
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This chair is crafted from a tree trunk left in its natural form. Zelkova wood is used for the material. Although the surface is finished in black with cashew paint, the beautiful ...
Wood
Undulating Méandre Chair by Design Frères
By Design Frères
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Undulating dark bronze 'Méandre' chair by Design Frères. Chic and understated.
Steel
Chair D
By Chuch Estudio
Located in Mérida, MX
The handwoven technique of the 'Petatillo' in Yucatan has been practiced for more than 50 years. Usually, it is woven with natural cane. This is one hundred percent artisan work, whi...
Nylon, Wood
$1,387 / set
H 29.53 in W 10.63 in D 18.51 in
Hand-crafted Primitive Design Solid Wood Pair of Chairs, 1950s, Italy
Located in Hagenbach, DE
Hand-crafted Primitive Design Solid Wood Pair of Chairs, 1950s, Italy Wear consistent with age and use. Measurements: Height: 75 cm Width: 27 cm Depth: 47 cm Seat height: 37 cm
Wood
$2,300 / set
H 37 in W 23 in D 19 in
Federal Style Shield Back Chairs with Faux Tortoise Leather Seats, pair
Located in Wichita, KS
A refined pair of Federal style shield back armchairs featuring elegant proportions and classic neoclassical detailing. Each chair is crafted in richly toned wood with delicately car...
Leather, Wood
Sheraton Shield Back Embroidered Accent Chair, 1940s
By Grand Ledge Chair Company 1
Located in Raymondville, TX
A George III style decorative mahogany armchair by Grand Ledge Chair Co. circa 1945. Sheraton design featuring a carved shield back, tapered fluted f...
Brass
$1,340 / item
H 30.71 in W 19.69 in D 18.9 in
Vienna Chair, Contemporary Design Inspired by Straw Traditional Chairs
By Emmanuel Gallina
Located in Milan, Lombardy
Vienna is an extraordinarily comfortable and elegant chair designed by Emmanuel Gallina who loves to quote Brancusi when saying that “simplicity is complexity resolved”. Inspired to the 1950s of Marcel Gascoin, but also to Vienna at the end of the 19th century. A tribute to Alfred Sloan’s American pragmatism joined to European styling and, in this particular case, to the renowned Italian talent constantly aiming to harmonize beauty and functionality. In solid beech and straw, it is a perfect combination between digital machines and handcraft. The structure is in solid beech. The back is in hand-braided Vienna straw fixed in a milling. The padded seat is upholstered and lined in different fabric categories: cotton, felt, linen, eco-leather, wool, velvet or can be coated with C.O.M. fabric. Finishing is in natural beech or beech painted walnut Canaletto. In the collection you can also find a Vienna little armchair with armrest, Vienna soft chair...
Straw, Beech
Alvor Chair Designed by Daciano da Costa
Located in Castelo da Maia, PT
The Alvor Chair, designed by Daciano da Costa in 1966, is a notable piece in Portuguese design history. Originally created for the Hotel Alvor Praia in the Algarve, the chair reflect...
Oak
$54,098
H 37.01 in W 20.08 in D 19.69 in
Valet Chair Model 540 Designed by Hans J. Wegner for Johannes Jansen, Denmark
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Stockholm, SE
Valet chair model 540 designed by Hans J. Wegner for Johannes Jansen, Denmark, 1953. Teak, oak and brass. Stamped. H: 94 cm W: 51 cm D: 50 cm SH: 44.5 cm Hans J. Wegn...
Brass
Echo Chair Designed by Jane Worthington
Located in Castelo da Maia, PT
Minimal but expressive, ECHO captures the moment where silence becomes shape — a reflection of balance, restraint, and timeless design. A steel structure grounds the design in streng...
Aluminum