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Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

BRUTALIST STYLE

The design of brutalist furniture encompasses that which is crafted, hewn and worked by hand — an aesthetic rebuke (or, at least, a counterpoint) to furniture that is created using 21st-century materials and technology. Lately, the word “brutalist” has been adopted by the realms of furniture design and the decorative arts to refer to chairs, cabinets, tables and accessory pieces such as mirror frames and lighting that are made of rougher, deeply textured metals and other materials that are the visual and palpable antithesis of the sleek, smooth and suave. 

ORIGINS OF BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGN

CHARACTERISTICS OF BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGN 

  • Use of industrial materials — tubular steel, concrete, glass, granite
  • Prioritizes functionalism, minimalism and utilization of negative space
  • Spare silhouettes, pronounced geometric shapes
  • Stripped-down, natural look; rugged textures, modular construction
  • Interiors featuring airy visual flow and reliance on neutral palettes

BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW

VINTAGE BRUTALIST FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS

The term brutalism — which derives from the French word brut, meaning “raw” — was coined by architecture critic Reyner Banham to describe an architectural style that emerged in the 1950s featuring monumental buildings, usually made of unornamented concrete, whose design was meant to project an air of strength and solidity.

Le Corbusier essentially created the brutalist style; its best-known iterations in the United States are the Whitney Museum of American Art, which was designed by Marcel Breuer, and Paul Rudolph's Yale Art and Architecture Building. The severe style might have been the most criticized architectural movement of the 20th century, even if it was an honest attempt to celebrate the beauty of raw material. But while the brutalist government buildings in Washington, D.C., seemingly bask in their un-beauty, brutalist interior design and decor is much more lyrical, at times taking on a whimsical, romantic quality that its exterior counterparts lack.

Paul Evans is Exhibit A for brutalist furniture design. His Sculpture Front cabinets laced with high-relief patinated steel mounts have become collector's items nonpareil, while the chairs, coffee table and dining table in his later Cityscape series and Sculpted Bronze series for Directional Furniture are perhaps the most expressive, attention-grabbing pieces in American modern design. Other exemplary brutalist designers are Silas Seandel, the idiosyncratic New York furniture designer and sculptor whose works in metal — in particular his tables — have a kind of brawny lyricism, and Curtis Jere, a nom-de-trade for the California team of Curtis Freiler and Jerry Fels, the bold makers of expressive scorched and sheared copper and brass mirror frames and wall-mounted sculptures.

Brutalist furniture and sculptures remain popular with interior designers and can lend unique, eccentric, human notes to an art and design collection in any home.

Find authentic vintage brutalist chairs, coffee tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Style: Brutalist
Color:  Brown
Brutalist Iron Sculpture
Located in Chicago, IL
A striking mid-20th century Brutalist iron sculpture constructed with four large triangle shapes reminiscent of sail boats in a harbor, welded to a rect...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Iron

Glen Davis Welded Metal Sculpture
By Glen Davis
Located in Chicago, IL
c. 1970s in great vintage condition. W. Glen Davis is an American sculptor who was born in the 20th Century
Category

1970s American Vintage Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Large French Brutalist sculpture in chamotte clay ceramic vintage 1960's
Located in Lyon, FR
Large French Brutalist sculpture in chamotte clay. Unidentified artist. Very fine vintage condition, please note damage to one end of the sculpture (photos).
Category

Mid-20th Century French Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Clay

Midcentury Brutalist Welded Metal Abstract Assemblage Sculpture
Located in New York, NY
Mid-Century Modern Brutalist abstract assemblage sculpture in welded metal, mounted on a wooden base. The piece dates from the circa 1970s, is unmarked and in great vintage condition...
Category

1970s American Vintage Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Brutalist Wooden Sculpture
Located in Memphis, TN
1960s abstract brutalist wooden sculpture. Unknown creator / not signed.
Category

Late 20th Century Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Wood, Hardwood

Brutalist/wabi sabi Mid-Century modern Hand-Carved Solid Wood Sculpture, 1970s
Located in AMSTERDAM, NL
Stunning sculpture of a two figure. Expressive use of the natural material. primitivist / modernist style. Powerful Brutalist sculpture with an interesting contrast between the smoo...
Category

1970s European Vintage Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Copper Abstract Table Sculpture on Live Edge Mount
Located in Fulton, CA
Free-form copper sculpture mounted to a live edge wood base.
Category

20th Century American Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Copper

Mid Century Brutalist Modern Abstract Brass Wall Sculpture Signed Monk
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A sleek modern brutalist wall sculpture circa 1960's. Well constructed and designed, signed Monk.
Category

1960s American Vintage Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Brass, Steel

Pair of Handmade Sculptures by American Artist PKW
Located in Grand Rapids, MI
Pair of handmade sculptures by American artist PKW. Rusted steel mounted into a solid fallen wood base. Signed on bases. As a pair they are a great mismatched pair with excellent sca...
Category

2010s American Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Brutalist Torch Cut Iron Garden Sculpture Ca. 1970’s
Located in New York, NY
Impressive torch cut iron sculpture of abstract geometric form executed in the Brutalist style. The sculpture is in original rust surface, and...
Category

1970s North American Vintage Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Iron

Abstract Sculpture in Stone and Wood Denmark 1980s
Located in Valby, 84
Abstract sculpture in stone and wood made by a unknown danish artist in Denmark in the 1980’s. The sculpture is made in a unknown stone material ...
Category

1980s Danish Vintage Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Stone

Scandinavian Brutalist Glass Block Sculpture, 1970s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Heavy unusual glass object with several decorative sides/angles. It can also be used as a bowl for car keys, change etc. Its was made at Kosta Boda in Sweden during the 1970s and pro...
Category

1970s Scandinavian Vintage Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Glass

John Steck Desert Rose Metal and Stone Vintage Brutalist Sculpture
Located in Chattanooga, TN
Vintage 1960s metal and stone table top sculpture. “Desert Rose” by John Steck is a timeless floral arrangement of bristly pom-pom blooms emanating from a stone base. The botanical a...
Category

1960s American Vintage Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Stone, Metal

1971 Curtis Jere Brutalist Seascape Sailboat Metal Sculpture Wall Art
Located in Chattanooga, TN
Large, nearly 40" in wide sailboat metal sculpture by Curtis Jere. Signed and dated '71. Shiny golden metallic hues and blended colors of gold, brass and copper with subtle shades of...
Category

1970s American Vintage Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Metal, Brass, Copper

Emaús Brutalist Brass and Bronze Sun Face Sculpture on Stand, Signed, 1960s
Located in San Francisco, CA
An enchanting 1960s Brutalist brass and bronze sun face sculpture on wood stand handcrafted by the Benedictine monks of Emaús, their workshop in San...
Category

1960s Mexican Vintage Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Brass, Bronze

Robert Fillous Signed Metal Crescent Moon and Crystal Sculpture
By Robert Fillous
Located in Indianapolis, IN
A Brutalist metal sculpture by American sculptor Robert Fillous (1913-1993). Made of steel, the sculpture features an intentionally distressed and hammered crescent moon affixed to a...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Stone, Metal

Henri Fernandez Signed Agate and Brass Wall Lights
Located in Hastings, GB
An incredible pair of extremely rare wall lights, hand crafted and signed by the artist and sculptor Henri Fernandez. Drawing inspiration from the natural world and re-imagining them in beautiful hand worked brass sculptures that incorporated other natural minerals such as agate and quartz crystal. Fernandez, along with his contemporaries, Jacques Duval-Brasseur, and Isabelle & Richard Faure pioneered this style of brass work in the 1970's and 80's, creating some of the most exceptional lighting...
Category

1970s French Vintage Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Agate, Brass

Brutalist Period Mixed Metals and Wood Couple Sculpture JN
Located in Garnerville, NY
Amazing mixed metals and wood Brutalist Period couple sculpture. A wonderful mix of copper, brass, nails and wood that have been manipulated, cut, carved, heated, tacked, and welded ...
Category

1960s American Vintage Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Metal, Copper

Big Brutalist Terracotta Sculpture Stamped NAGA
Located in Brussels, BE
Fine Brutalist hand made terracotta Sculpture. Hollow structure, red color. Stamped NAGA. Inspired by Alexander Calder "the waves." Around 2008.
Category

Early 2000s Italian Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Terracotta

William Friedle Vintage Brutalist Metal Sculpture
Located in San Antonio, TX
Signed vintage mid-century brutalist metal art sculpture by William Friedle, circa 1960s. William worked with his brother, Bruce Friedle creating u...
Category

Mid-20th Century Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Midcentury Torch Cut Metal Abstract Brutalist Sculpture
By Diego Giacometti, Alberto and Diego Giacometti, Tony Melendy, Silas Seandel, Curtis Jeré
Located in Houston, TX
Midcentury torch cut metal abstract Brutalist sculpture. Beautifully executed Mid-Century Modern Brutalist torch cut mixed metal abstract sculpture. ...
Category

1960s Vintage Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Brass, Copper

Huge Japanese Ikebana Slab Vase 1980s
Located in Melbourne, AU
If you're looking for Ikebana pottery on a grand scale, this is your vase. A traditional slab construction but with a 1980s twist, this magnificent ter...
Category

1980s Japanese Vintage Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Earthenware

"Rino" Contemporary Golden Door Handle in Cast Brass by Estudio Orth
Located in Sao Paulo, BR
Produced in São Paulo, Brazil. This Door Handle was meticulously handmade by master artisans one piece at a time. It is therefore quite difficult, if not impossible to make identical items. The brass casting is produced by formation of a mold from a mixture of sand and the liquid alloy of copper and zinc. The projects are based on a contemporary appropriation of traditional methods from Brazilian artisans and reinterpreted through the integration of new forms and noble materials. An aesthetic infused with “beauty of imperfection" is obtained by the expressive potential of each material, generating works that recall nature and rationality. Estúdio Orth...
Category

2010s Brazilian Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Brass

Paul Evans Polychromed Steel Sculpture
Located in New York, NY
Astonishing brutalist sculpture by Paul Evans, circa 1960's. Welded and polychromed steel, painted wood. 67 x 38 x 26 in. (170.2 x 96.5 x 66 cm) excluding base.
Category

1960s American Vintage Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Large Brutalist Cast Iron & Wood Crucifix / Cross
Located in San Diego, CA
Large brutalist cast iron & wood crucifix / cross from Italy, circa 1970s. This is a beautiful linear piece in great condition measuring 10"W x 3"D...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Iron

Concrete Kitsugi Console
Located in Hawthorne, CA
Made to Order, the console is made of fiber-glass reinforced concrete with wood details, you have a choice of Off-White, Gray, and Charcoal colors, this Console brings elegance, simp...
Category

2010s American Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Concrete

Brutalist Torch Cut Steel Sculpture
Located in Costa Mesa, CA
Brutalist torch cut steel sculpture
Category

1960s American Vintage Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Aharon Bezalel Cast Bronze, Modernist, Brutalist, c 1969
Located in Buffalo, NY
Aharon Bezalel Cast Bronze, modernist, brutalist. c 1969, Wonderful form and artistry.
Category

1660s Antique Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

COR Trillen, Arma Christi, Religious Art, 1960s, Wooden Carving, Unique Art Work
Located in ROTTERDAM, ZH
What a piece of religious art! This huge Arma Christi is made by Dutch sculptor Cor Triller. This huge carving is made in 1965 and is made of one piece of...
Category

1960s Dutch Vintage Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Wood

20th Century Post Modern Wooden Totem Sculpture by Bertrand Creach
Located in London, GB
Impressive iroko wooden totem sculpture by Bertrand Creach, hand-carved and burnished finition made in the late 20th Century. "Kloc'hdi" is a master pi...
Category

Late 20th Century French Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Hand Made Metal Brutalist Bonsai Tree in Rust Finish
Located in New York, NY
Brutalist hand made iron Bonsai tree sculpture. The sculpture has wonderful all over rust finish, gained from years of outdoor life, this piece was origina...
Category

1970s American Vintage Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Iron, Wrought Iron

James Bearden Trio of Brutalist Giraffe Sculptures "Animal Series"
Located in Dallas, TX
Amazing family of three large scale Giraffe sculptures by renowned Iowa abstract artist James Anthony Bearden. From his Animal Series, The large Giraffe ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Brass, Copper, Enamel

“La Face Cachée de la Lune #22”
Located in New York, NY
Massive-scale glazed stoneware sculpture. Wood fired.
Category

2010s French Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Stoneware

Italian crucifix Brutalist Sculpture from the 1960s
Located in bari, IT
Italian brass brutalist sculpture from the 1960s depicting a stylized crucifix.
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Brass

Monumental Abstract Brutalist Sculpture by Dorsey
Located in San Diego, CA
Striking California Artist signed abstract sculpture by Dorsey, circa 1970s.
Category

20th Century American Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Abstract Brutalist Wire Horse Sculpture Marcello Fantoni for Raymor
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Mid-Century, abstract, Brutalist, horse sculpture by Marcello Fantoni for Raymor is a mixed metal wire sculpture mounted on a walnut base with copper label signed Fantoni Italy for R...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Mid Century Brutalist Modern Abstract Wall Sculpture by Finesse Originals
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fun to look at piece of 3D wall created by Finesse Originals in the 1960's. It consists of a wood frame and the sculpture part is molded resin.
Category

1960s American Vintage Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Resin, Wood

"Kabuto #4, " by Lucien Petit
Located in New York, NY
Glazed stoneware sculpture. Wood fired.   
Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Stoneware

Large Brutalist William Friedle Wall Hanging Sculpture
Located in New York, NY
Torch cut brass elements constitute the mass of this great Brutalist wall hanging sculpture, marked "Friedle" Very good orig...
Category

1960s American Vintage Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Brass

James Bearden Gilded Steel Candelabra
Located in New York, NY
Candelabra of blackened and 24-karat gold gilded steel, with the aspect of an extra-terrestrial or futuristic cityscape. By American artist James Bearden. Bearden's work was featured in a 2020 solo exhibition at the NY Design Center titled "James Bearden: Technical and Aesthetic Revelations," in an article in the January 2017 Interior Design Magazine...
Category

2010s American Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Pia Manu Brutalist Illuminated Wall Sculpture in Steel & Red Stained Glass 1970s
Located in Dallas, TX
Monumental one of a kind Brutalist wall sculpture in steel and red slag glass designed by Jules De Waele for Pia Manu Studio. Executed in the 1970s for a pri...
Category

Mid-20th Century Belgian Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Steel

A Curtis Jere Style Abstract Brutalist Copper Wall Sculpture
Located in New York, NY
A midcentury abstract ‘Brutalist’ wall sculpture, in the style of Curtis Jere, composed of various sized copper rectangles. Good conditi...
Category

Mid-20th Century Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Copper

Freestanding Brutalist Metal Sculpture after Jere
Located in New York, NY
Impressive freestanding Brutalist sculpture in the manner of Jere, Evans, unsigned. The piece has an organic form top (10 inch in diameter,) which stands on metal rods, which are att...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Steel, Wrought Iron

Collection of 5o 19th Century Carved Wood Molds for Castings, Sizes Vary
Located in Buchanan, MI
Collection of 50 19th century carved wood molds for castings. Would make a great residential or commercial art installation. Sizes vary, great color and patina. Please note there ar...
Category

19th Century Antique Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Brutalist Hanging Wall Sculpture by Bill Heise, Found Objects
Located in Buffalo, NY
Brutalist hanging wall sculpture by Bill Heise. Found objects, hand executed from found objects, welded The pieces are crafted from turn-of-the-century farm equipment collected from the fields of Vermont, maritime parts salvaged from around the Bay Area, and railroad components, antique tools, and other vintage metal found throughout America. The delicate lines and whimsical nature of Heise sculptures often defy the rugged origins of each component part. Railroad spikes, plough discs, pitchforks, shovel blades, and a myriad of other parts are transformed into birds in flight, cows out to pasture, tropical fish, and a variety of other wildlife forms. And there's always an interesting story behind each piece, be it the eighty something farmer who helped me retrieve equipment from the "back forty," frozen hands from digging a hay rake...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Metal, Steel

Mid-Century Modern Brutalist Compressed Metal Pipe Sculpture
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This Mid-Century Modern metal sculpture has no artist's signature, but it believed to have been made in Canada in circa 1965. The sculpture is crafted from a length of steel pipe tha...
Category

Mid-20th Century North American Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Handmade Sculptural Iron, Copper, Bronze 4 Piece Railings, by Larry Griffis Sr.
Located in Buffalo, NY
Handmade sculptural iron, copper, bronze 4 piece railings, by Larry Griffis Jr. Stunning artistic railings originally commissioned for downtown Buffalo N...
Category

1970s American Vintage Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Bronze, Copper, Iron

Brutalist Wall Sculpture of Patinated Metal
By Silas Seandel, Tony Melendy, Curtis Jeré
Located in Houston, TX
Brutalist wall sculpture of patinated metal. Monumental Brutalist wall sculpture of patinated metal inspired by Silas Seandel. Fabulous large Brutalist abstract wall sculpture of patinated metal in the manner of Silas Seandel/Curtis Jere/Tony Melendy...
Category

1970s Unknown Vintage Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Iron

Expressive Brutalist Abstract Wall Relief in Ceramic, 1970s
Located in London, GB
Expressive abstract relief sculpted in rough clay and glazed with copper oxides in matt grey-green. It is a dynamic wall decoration, signed H77.  
Category

1970s Dutch Vintage Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic

Philippe Cheverny Libra Zodiac Sculpture Signed, Gilded Cast Metal
Located in Somerton, GB
Philippe Cheverny is known for his Brutalist, obscure sculptural pieces designed and manufactured 1950s-1970s. His works have since become sought after due to their unconventional an...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Philippe Cheverny Capricorn Zodiac Sculpture Signed, Gilded Cast Metal
Located in Somerton, GB
Philippe Cheverny is known for his Brutalist, obscure sculptural pieces designed and manufactured 1950s-1970s. His works have since become sought after due to their unconventional an...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Brutalist Sculpture by Dimitri Hadzi
By Dimitri Hadzi
Located in New York, NY
Bronze, brass and wood cabinet scale Brutalist sculpture by noted sculptor Dimitri Hadzi. Intriguing abstract mixed metal example signed on the base, as shown.           
Category

Mid-20th Century American Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Brass, Bronze, Iron

Philippe Cheverny Zodiac Sculpture Signed Philippe Cherverny Cast Metal, Gilded
Located in Somerton, GB
Philippe Cheverny is known for his Brutalist, obscure sculptural pieces designed and manufactured 1950s-1970s. His works have since become sought after due to their unconventional an...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Cast Aluminum Brutalist Sculpture by Dcalvi
Located in New York, NY
A 1960s Brutalist style abstract sculpture in cast aluminum made by Dcalvi. Plaque mounted on painted wood base marked Dcalvi". Great original condition.
Category

1960s American Vintage Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Aluminum

Bill Lett Brutalist Rooster in Bronze
By Bill Lett
Located in New York, NY
A sculpture by Brutalist artist Bill Lett, circa 1960s, depicting a silhouette of a rooster in torch cut and patinated bronze, mounted on a wooden cylinder base. Includes plaque [Bil...
Category

1960s American Vintage Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Linda Goodman Brutalist Bronze Figurative Sculpture
By Linda Goodman
Located in Miami, FL
Linda Goodman Brutalist Bronze Figurative Sculpture Offered for sale is a Brutalist bronze sculpture by the American artist Linda Goodman (1910-2004). ...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Torch Cut Brutal Sculpture
Located in Denton, TX
1970s metal freestanding sculpture very organic.
Category

20th Century North American Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Bernard Dejonghe, Sandstone TOTEM, France, 1980
Located in Catonvielle, FR
Bernard Dejonghe (1942), exceptional Totem in Sandstone, France, 1980. Signature incised right bottom Unique piece.
Category

1980s French Vintage Brutalist Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Sandstone

Brutalist abstract sculptures for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Brutalist abstract sculptures for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage abstract sculptures created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, wall decorations, lighting and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, bronze and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Brutalist abstract sculptures made in a specific country, there are North America, United States, and Europe pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original abstract sculptures, popular names associated with this style include James Bearden, David Palombo, John De La Rosa, and Harry Bertoia. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for abstract sculptures differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $150 and tops out at $450,000 while the average work can sell for $2,227.

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