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
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.
$14,320Sale Price / item|20% Off
Abstract Beauty in Black Solid Wood, Escalona's Work, Still Stand No79
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Abstract Beauty in Black Solid Wood, Escalona's Work, Still Stand No79 —— Joel Escalona's wooden standing sculptures are objects of raw beauty and serene grace. Each one is a testa...
Hardwood
Unseen Force #66: Joel Escalona's Solid Wood Statement Table, Artistic Craft
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Unseen Force #66: Joel Escalona's Solid Wood Statement Table, Artistic Craft Sculptural coffee table made of solid wood with a natural water-based or carbonized finish. Due to the nature of the production process, each piece may vary in grain, texture, shape or even size. The dimensions provided refer to the table only. The dimensions and shape of the sculpture may vary. — About the Concept. Unseen Force Coffee Tables and Side Tables, design by Joel Escalona for NONO When Tables Talk Art...
Hardwood
Vintage Large Scale Brutalist Cattail Sculpture on a Burled Wood Base
By Curtis Jeré
Located in Charleston, SC
A beautiful brutalist mixed metal sculpture on a Burled wood base. It featured 7 cattails in different heights as well as leaves of different heights and shapes. After C. Jere.
Metal
$724Sale Price|74% Off
1950s Japanese Iron Bird Sculpture Mid-Century Asian Cabinmodern Art
Located in Hyattsville, MD
Hard to find object, we have never seen another. It is cast metal with a faux verdigris/archaic finish, marked JAPAN on verso. Weighs 1.5 pounds, stand 5.25 inches tall.
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.
Brass, Bronze, Iron
Svelte Elefante Console 18, NONO Design, Tactile Wood Finish
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Svelte Elefante Console 18, NONO Design, Tactile Oak Finish ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Modernist To...
Hardwood
Fannie Phillips Brutalist Style Metal Bird Sculpture
Located in Winnetka, IL
This is a heavy abstract bronze? Metal sculpture of a pair of birds by Fannie Phillips and inscribed on brass plate on stone plynth.
Metal
$780Sale Price|20% Off
Large Brutalist Bronze Ballerina Sculpture on Marble Base
Located in San Diego, CA
A very large Brutalist midcentury bronze ballerina sculpture on an black marble base (6.75" x 8.5"), circa 1970s. The piece is 44.5" high and has a wo...
Marble, Bronze
Modern Art Carved in Sleek Dark Black Solid Wood, NONO's Still Stand No99
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Modern Art Carved in Sleek Dark Black Solid Wood, NONO's Still Stand No99 —— Joel Escalona's wooden standing sculptures are objects of raw beauty and serene grace. Each one is a te...
Hardwood
$2,200 / item
Sculptural Vessels in Gray by Sonja Duo-Meyer
By Sonja Duó-Meyer
Located in New York, NY
Sculptural vessels in an ovoid form with walled aperture. Hand-built of gray chamotte Limoges porcelain by Swiss ceramic artist Sonja Duo-Meyer (b. 1953) and executed circa 1995. The...
Porcelain
Elegance in Black Solid Wood by NONO, Still Stand No78 Redefined
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Elegance in Black Solid Wood by NONO, Still Stand No78 Redefined —— Joel Escalona's wooden standing sculptures are objects of raw beauty and serene grace. Each one is a testament ...
Hardwood
NONO Elefante Buffet 15, Solid Oak, Understated Design Detail
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
NONO Elefante Buffet 15, Solid Oak, Understated Design Detail ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO ...
Hardwood
Vintage Sculptural Wine / Magazine Rack in Cast Iron, French Art Deco, 1930s
Located in Odense, DK
Such a fine decorative wine / magazine holder in cast iron. Made in France, ca 1930s. Beautiful lines perfectly suited for any interior style. A Modern, Scandinavian, Classic or an Art deco home decor. "There is no style...
Iron
1950s French Wooden Female Sculpture – Expressive Carved Figure with Draped Skir
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
1950s French Wooden Female Sculpture – Expressive Carved Figure with Draped Skirt Description: This beautiful sculpture of a woman is carved fro...
Wood
20th Century School Brutalist Bronze Sculpture of Standing Woman, Signed
Located in Germantown, MD
A brutalist bronze sculpture of well dressed standing woman in good vintage condition. Measures 6" in width, 6" in depth and stands 18.25" tall. Signed on base
Bronze
Brutalist Welded Nails Sculpture by Harry Bertoia
Located in New York, NY
Abstract Brutalist Nails Sculpture by Harry Bertoia, circa 1950s.
Metal
$11,706 / item
Elefante by NONO Desk 04, Oak Precision, Functional Art
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Elefante by NONO Desk 04, Oak Precision, Functional Art ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Modernist Touch ...
Hardwood
Svelte Elefante Console 18, NONO Design, Tactile Oak Finish
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Svelte Elefante Console 18, NONO Design, Tactile Oak Finish ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting El...
Hardwood
$9,882Sale Price / item|20% Off
Unseen Force #52: Solid Oak Table, Joel Escalona's Functional Art
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Unseen Force #52: Solid Oak Table, Joel Escalona's Functional Art Sculptural coffee table made of solid wood with a natural water-based or carbonized finish. Due to the nature of the production process, each piece may vary in grain, texture, shape or even size. The dimensions provided refer to the table only. The dimensions and shape of the sculpture may vary. — About the Concept. Unseen Force Coffee Tables and Side Tables, design by Joel Escalona for NONO When Tables Talk Art...
Hardwood
A Sleek, Dark Burned Oak Totem, Carved into Modern Art, NONO's Still Stand No99
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
A Sleek, Dark Burned Oak Totem, Carved into Modern Art, NONO's Still Stand No99 _ Joel Escalona's wooden standing sculptures are objects of raw beauty and serene grace. Each one is ...
Hardwood
Aurelio Teno (1927/2013) Fish-shaped sculpture, natural stone and Bronze
By Aurelio Teno
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Aurelio Teno (1927/2013) Fish-shaped sculpture, natural stone and Bronze. Superb sculpture from the 70s by Aurelio Teno, of brutalist inspiration, made from a block of natural red qu...
Quartz, Bronze
Joel Escalona's Unseen Force #59: Coffee Table Sculpture, Solid Oak
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Joel Escalona's Unseen Force #59: Coffee Table Sculpture, Solid Oak Sculptural coffee table made of solid wood with a natural water-based or carbonized...
Hardwood
Carved Elegance, Black Solid Wood Still Stand No80 by NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Carved Elegance, Black Solid Wood Still Stand No80 by NONO —— Joel Escalona's wooden standing sculptures are objects of raw beauty and serene grace. Each one is a testament to the ...
Hardwood
Elefante Tapered Leg Console 16 by NONO, Oak Craft, Stout Silhouette
Artisanal Unseen Force #68: Joel Escalona's Crafted Oak Table, Elegance & Form
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Artisanal Unseen Force #68: Joel Escalona's Crafted Oak Table, Elegance & Form Sculptural coffee table made of solid wood with a natural water-based or carbonized finish. Due to the nature of the production process, each piece may vary in grain, texture, shape or even size. The dimensions provided refer to the table only. The dimensions and shape of the sculpture may vary. — About the Concept. Unseen Force Coffee Tables and Side Tables, design by Joel Escalona for NONO When Tables Talk Art...
Hardwood
NONO Elefante Buffet 19, Oak Stalwart, Tiered Shelving Design
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
NONO Elefante Buffet 19, Oak Stalwart, Tiered Shelving Design ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Craf...
Hardwood
Joel Escalona Defines Sleek, Dark Burned Oak in Abstract Design, Still Stand 96
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Joel Escalona Defines Sleek, Dark Burned Oak in Abstract Design, Still Stand No96 _ Joel Escalona's wooden standing sculptures are objects of raw beauty and serene grace. Each one i...
Hardwood
Elefante by NONO Console 20, Slender Oak Elegance, Substantial Presence
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Elefante by NONO Console 20, Slender Oak Elegance, Substantial Presence ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a ...
Hardwood
$9,364Sale Price / item|20% Off
Slim Elefante Console 08, NONO Craft, Chic Brutalist Style
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Slim Elefante Console 08, NONO Craft, Chic Brutalist Style ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Modernist To...
Hardwood
BIJAN Metal Sculpture Dog with Birds Pursuit Copper and Brass on Stone Base
By Bijan
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Vintage BIJAN Metal Sculpture Dog with Birds Pursuit Copper and Brass on Stone Base. Mid Century Modern Bijan metal sculpture circa 1960 1970s. T...
Stone, Metal, Copper, Bronze, Brass
$9,364Sale Price / item|20% Off
Artisan Elefante Sideboard 14, NONO Crafted, Subtle Oak Finish
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Artisan Elefante Sideboard 14, NONO Crafted, Subtle Oak Finish ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Modernis...
Hardwood
$14,320Sale Price / item|20% Off
Abstract Modern Wood Sculpture, Still Stand No1 by Joel Escalona
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
“Still Stand” sculptures by Joel Escalona Joel Escalona's wooden standing sculptures are objects of raw beauty and serene grace. Each one is a testament to the power of the material...
Hardwood
$14,320Sale Price / item|20% Off
In Burned Oak, a Dark Biomorphic Sculpture of Elegance Emerges, Still Stand No97
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
In Burned Oak, a Dark Biomorphic Sculpture of Elegance Emerges, Still Stand No97 _ Joel Escalona's wooden standing sculptures are objects of raw beauty and serene grace. Each one is ...
Hardwood
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...
Steel, Wrought Iron
Biomorphic Burned Oak Elegance, Still Stand No83, Crafted by NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Biomorphic Burned Oak Elegance, Still Stand No83, Crafted by NONO —— Joel Escalona's wooden standing sculptures are objects of raw beauty and serene grace. ...
Hardwood
Wood Sculpture, Burned Oak Masterpiece by Joel Escalona, Still Stand No100
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Wood Sculpture, Burned Oak Masterpiece by Joel Escalona, Still Stand No100 _ Joel Escalona's wooden standing sculptures are objects of raw beauty and serene grace. Each one is a tes...
Hardwood
NONO Elefante Sideboard 17, Oak Durability, Graceful Overhang
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
NONO Elefante Sideboard 17, Oak Durability, Graceful Overhang ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Modernist ...
Hardwood
NONO Crafts Dark Elegance, Biomorphic Burned Oak, Still Stand No93
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
NONO Crafts Dark Elegance, Biomorphic Burned Oak, Still Stand No93—— Joel Escalona's wooden standing sculptures are objects of raw beauty and serene grace. ...
Hardwood
Carved from Elegance, Still Stand No80 in Burned Oak by NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Carved from Elegance, Still Stand No80 in Burned Oak by NONO —— Joel Escalona's wooden standing sculptures are objects of raw beauty and serene grace. Each one is a testament to th...
Hardwood
$14,320Sale Price / item|20% Off
Dark Elegance, Biomorphic Black Solid Wood Crafted by NONO, Still Stand No93
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Dark Elegance, Biomorphic Black Solid Wood Crafted by NONO, Still Stand No93 —— Joel Escalona's wooden standing sculptures are objects of raw beauty and ...
Hardwood
Minimalist Elefante Console 13, NONO Signature Oak, Balanced Structure
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Minimalist Elefante Console 13, NONO Signature Oak, Balanced Structure ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a M...
Hardwood
$3,600Sale Price|45% Off
Brutalist Period Mixed Metals and Wood Couple Sculpture JN
Located in New Windsor, 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 ...
Metal, Copper
$9,364Sale Price / item|20% Off
Elefante by NONO Console 11, Stout Oak Base, Refined Top
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Elefante by NONO Console 11, Stout Oak Base, Refined Top ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Modernist Touc...
Hardwood
Brutalist Desktop Glass Sculpture
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Brutalist desktop / tabletop glass sculpture. It is made of crashed glass and mirror melted into clear acrylic and mounted on natural piece o...
Glass
$9,882Sale Price / item|20% Off
Unseen Force #60: Solid Wood Coffee Table, Joel Escalona's Decorative Artistry
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Unseen Force #60: Solid Wood Coffee Table, Joel Escalona's Decorative Artistry Sculptural coffee table made of solid wood with a natural water-based or carbonized finish. Due to the nature of the production process, each piece may vary in grain, texture, shape or even size. The dimensions provided refer to the table only. The dimensions and shape of the sculpture may vary. — About the Concept. Unseen Force Coffee Tables and Side Tables, design by Joel Escalona for NONO When Tables Talk Art...
Hardwood
$9,500Sale Price|32% Off
Meticulously formed and welded brutalist style skater sculpture
Located in Ferndale, MI
Nicely formed and constructed sculpture in a cubist brutalist style . The exceptional welding becomes part of the form and lends to the idea of a muscular torso . Stylized idea of a...
Steel
Artisan Unseen Force #64: Joel Escalona's Solid Wood Coffee Table, Decor Accent
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Artisan Unseen Force #64: Joel Escalona's Solid Wood Coffee Table, Decor Accent Sculptural coffee table made of solid wood with a natural water-based or carbonized finish. Due to t...
Hardwood
$6,825
Harry Bouras Sculpture
Located in Chicago, IL
Chicago art critic, Harry Bouras was the host of "Arts and Artists" for 25 years. Harry's pieces are in permanent collections in Chicago, New York and Tokyo. Resin coated iron sculpture. Two matching...
Iron
Vintage Abstract Sculpture by Adolf Gerber, Molten Bronze and Marble, 1973
By Adolf Gerber
Located in North Miami, FL
One could interrupt the nature of this vintage signed abstract bronze and dark green with black marble sculpture through the feet. Brutalist in molten form of the bronze. The variega...
Marble, Bronze
$2,600Sale Price|20% Off
Bronze Sculpture Romantic Dreams by Susanne Vertel
Located in New York, NY
Stylized cast bronze sculpture depicting three women in reclining position by noted sculptor Susanne Vertel. This sculpture is part of a limited edition...
Bronze
$6,000Sale Price|33% Off
Abstract Modern Art Sculpture! "Phoenix Rising" Direct Metal & Marble 1950s
By Seymour Lipton
Located in Peoria, AZ
MAGNIFICENT! DIRECT METAL SCULPTURE "PHOENIX RISING" MID CENTURY ABSTRACT ART! ATTRIBUTED TO SEYMOUR LIPTON Signed & Titled "Phoenix Rising" Lipton 1958 DIMENSIONS: 23" HIGH x 7...
Marble, Bronze
Dutch Brutalist carved wood sculpture of womans figure, height 95cm, 1970s
Located in Zevenaar, NL
Dutch Brutalist wood sculpture of womans figure, carved by Koos van Vlijmen, 1970s The sculpture has a height of 95 cm. Koos van Vlijmen was a painter, sculptor, and graphic artist...
Fruitwood
Brutalist Sculpture of a Knight with Sword
Located in New York, NY
Impressive freestanding sculpture of a Knight with his sword drawn. The figure is constructed of various bits of metal, screws, washers, gears etc which at fist glance appear to be r...
Metal
Stoneware Sculptural Object by Ole Bjørn Krüger Own Studio, Denmark, 1970s
Located in Odense, DK
Unique abstract sculptural object by Danish artist Ole Bjørn Krüger (1922-2007) made at his own studio in the 1970s. The object is made of chamotte stonew...
Stoneware
A Brutalist Sculpture By Chet LaMore ca' 1960
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
A whimsical, figurative bronze sculpture by a noted artist Chet LaMore. "Chet La More was an American painter, sculptor, printmaker, and educator. He was ...
Bronze
1970s Brass Sculpture Max Finkelstein Machine Texture Artwork California
Located in Chula Vista, CA
1970s Brutalist Sculpture by Max Finkelstein, renowned Southern California artist creating modern machine texture artwork. Brass with welded metal Iron. Signed underneath. 5 W x 4 D ...
Brass, Iron
Taurus, Chainsaw Carved, Burnt Oak, Abstract Sculpture, Bull, Handmade, Black
By Logniture
Located in Stara Gradiška, HR
Taurus, Chainsaw Carved, Burnt Oak
Oak
Large Brutalist "Pom Pom" Brass Wall Sculture by Curtis Jere Signed and Dated
By Curtis Freiler, Jerry Fels, Curtis Jeré, Artisan House
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Impressive Modernist brass 'Pom Pom' / 'Sea Urchin' wall sculpture by Curtis Jere (Curtis Freiler and Jerry Fels) for Artisan House (1979, USA). Striking, extra large wall art compos...
Brass
Still Stand Abstract, Wood Sculpture, Chainsaw Carved, Burnt Oak, By Logniture
By Logniture
Located in Stara Gradiška, HR
Still Stand Abstract Biomorphic Wood Sculpture, Chainsaw Carved, Burnt Oak
Oak
1970s Abstract Tabletop Sheeted Copper Sculpture
Located in Tarrytown, NY
1970s Abstract Tabletop Sheeted Copper Sculpture Brutalist Sculpture Soldered/Welded Copper Sheets Patterned Patina on Copper Wood substructure
Copper