Faye Toogood’s name is practically synonymous with her Roly Poly chair. With its chubby legs and bowl-like seat, the now-iconic piece epitomized the trend toward chunky forms that defined avant-garde furniture design in the 2010s. But the visionary British artist’s contributions go far beyond the chair and its similarly robust companion pieces, in disciplines ranging from textiles and ceramics to fashion and home interiors.
“I design holistically, with an overall vision across fashion, furniture and interiors,” she tells 1stDibs. “Furniture is something I return to over and over again and is a very strong part of this vision. I am interested in humans and the way they live — the spaces they inhabit, the clothes they wear, the objects they surround themselves with.”
After a childhood spent running free in the English countryside with nature as her playground, Toogood studied art history at Bristol University rather than attend art school. Her design approach is underpinned by contrast and understandably informed by art history, particularly the mid-20th-century modernism of such British artists as Barbara Hepworth and Alfred Wallis. “For me, it is about playing around with references and our associations, be that with materials or the precious and the raw, the masculine and the feminine,” she explains. “I’m able to use those contrasts to create friction.”
Toogood has exhibited at Phillips and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Triennale in Milan and D Museum in Seoul. In addition, her works are in the permanent collections of institutions worldwide, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art; Dallas Museum of Art; Denver Art Museum; High Museum of Art, in Atlanta; Corning Museum of Glass, in New York; the National Gallery of Victoria, in Melbourne; and the Fabergé Museum in St. Petersburg.
Shop furniture designs from Faye Toogood today on 1stDibs.
H 13.78 in W 15.75 in D 13.78 in
Faye Toogood Roly Poly Side Table, Wood, London, 2019, Contemporary Tables
By Faye Toogood
Located in Barcelona, ES
Faye Toogood Roly Poly side table Manufactured by Faye Toogood London, 2019 Engineered wood, soft touch lacquer Measurements 40 cm x 35 cm...
Wood
H 20.47 in W 11.81 in D 11.81 in
Cavas Side Table by Pedro Ávila
Located in São Paulo, BR
This piece is the result of a sequence of manual carving exercises in pine trunks. The diameter of each piece and the variation in its shapes is determined by the height of each sect...
Wood
H 15.36 in W 13.78 in D 13 in
Sass Natural Stool by Riccardo Monte
Located in Geneve, CH
Sass Natural Stool by Riccardo Monte Dimensions: D 33 x W 35 x H 39 cm. Materials: Oak. Riccardo Monte is a creative studio based in the Italian Alps. With the vision of creating a ...
Oak
H 19.01 in Dm 20.01 in
Side Table 06 by Ian Love Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Side Table 06 by Ian Love Design Dimensions: D 50.8 x H 48.26 cm Materials: Ash wood Based in, produced and shipped from the US. Also available in: Materials: Walnut, White Oak (fo...
Wood, Ash
H 18 in W 22 in D 22 in
Contemporary Chubby Side Table by Arthur Vallin
Located in 1204, CH
Arthur’s passion and dedication to process inspire him to constantly discover new manufacturing techniques and innovative shapes that he brings to life through hand-picked materials ...
Stone
H 21.66 in W 15.75 in D 14.97 in
Butt Stool
By Chuch Estudio
Located in Mérida, MX
Solid wood stool sculpted by hand into a butt shape as a symbol of equality (we all have butts).
Wood
H 24 in W 19.5 in D 18.5 in
Yumi Stool by Modu Studio
By Modu Studio
Located in New York, NY
The Yumi Stool is a handcrafted piece of furniture that combines solid wood and liquid bronze for a unique appearance. The stool is made using traditional t...
Bronze
H 7.09 in W 11.82 in D 10.24 in
Zougei Sculptural Stool Side Table sculpture 13
By Zougei
Located in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Name: Waves of grass low table Sculptural stool or side table by Hiroyuki Nishimura and Zougei carved furniture Material: Zelkova This work is carved from log with some kinds of cha...
Wood
H 10.24 in W 13.39 in D 9.45 in
Zougei Sculptural Stool Side Table sculpture F3
By Hiroyuki Nishimura
Located in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Name: On the grass Sculptural stool or side table by Hiroyuki Nishimura and Zougei carved furniture Material: Zelkova This work is carved from log with some kinds of chainsaws. It's...
Wood
H 18.12 in W 19.3 in D 18.9 in
Wood Stack Side Table by Hyungjun Lee
Located in Geneve, CH
Wood Stack Side Table by Hyungjun Lee Dimensions: D 48 x W 49 x H 46 cm. Materials: Stainless steel. Hyungjun Lee EDUCATION 2015-2018 ESAD ...
Stainless Steel
Faye Toogood, "Cup High / Moon", 2018
By Faye Toogood
Located in New York, NY
Faye Toogood [British, b. 1977] Cup high / Moon, 2018 Sand-cast bronze, silver nitrate. Measures: 20 x 12 x 12 inches. 50 x 30 x 30 cm. Edition of 20 British designer Faye Toogood has emerged as one of the most prominent women in contemporary design today. “Whether you are a fashion designer, a furniture designer, or an interior designer, the materials you can get your hands on are essential,” she says. Toogood was born in the UK in 1977 and graduated with a BA in the History of Art in 1998 from Bristol University. Upon graduation, she worked as a prop stylist at The World of Interiors before establishing Studio Toogood in 2008. Working in a diverse range of disciplines from sculpture to furniture and fashion, Toogood often reinterprets and reinvents classical tropes and references from art history by introducing a new aesthetic. Since the conception of her immediately recognizable voluminous Roly-Poly chair (2014), she has been considered among the great form-givers of the 21st century. Her career is marked out by the discrete Assemblages, each of which conjures a compact world of interrelated ideas, forms, and materials. Pew Bench / Earth from Assemblage 5...
Bronze
Faye Toogood, "Pew Bench / Earth", 2016
By Faye Toogood
Located in New York, NY
Faye Toogood [British, b. 1977] Pew bench / Earth, 2016 Cob composite, steel Measures: 17 x 49.5 x 17.75 inches 43 x 126 x 45 cm Edition of 8 British design...
Steel
Thaddeus Wolfe, "Untitled", 2022
By Thaddeus Wolfe
Located in New York, NY
Thaddeus Wolfe [American, b. 1979] Untitled, 2022 Glass 29.25 x 16.25 x 10.5 inches 74.3 x 41.3 x 26.7 cm Brooklyn-based Thaddeus Wolfe has developed a wholly original approach to sculpting glass. Combining techniques of glassblowing and casting, Wolfe achieves what would not otherwise be possible in the material--developing his signature vocabulary of angular, highly textured forms. His unique process begins by sculpting a form from broken and carved styrofoam pieces, using meticulous yet improvisatory methods. From this form, Wolfe generates a single-use plaster mold for casting the glass. Color and texture are achieved by layering different tints of glass onto a glass bubble, which is inflated into the cavity of the heated mold. After un-molding the piece, Wolfe carves and polishes certain surfaces to reveal the interior strata. The resulting works which he often refers to as assemblages are part painterly, part geological. Wolfe has held residencies at Creative Glass Center of America Millville, NJ; Museum of Glass, Tacoma, WA; and Pilchuck Glass School, Stanwood, WA. His work is in the permanent collections of the Corning Museum of Glass, NY (where he was awarded the 2016 Rakow Commission); Indianapolis Museum of Art, IN; Musée de Arts...
Blown Glass
Wendell Castle, "Promises Kept", 2015
By Wendell Castle
Located in New York, NY
Wendell Castle [American, 1932-2018] Promises Kept, 2015 Bronze Measures: 21.25 x 16.25 x 13.5 inches 54 x 41 x 34 cm Edition of 8 Throughout a celebrated career spanning six decad...
Bronze
Chris Schanck, "Ore Table", 2020
By Chris Schanck
Located in New York, NY
Chris Schanck [American, b. 1975] Ore Table, 2020 Cast white bronze 19.5 x 22 x 22 inches 50 x 56 x 56 cm Edition of 8 Designer Chris Schanck’s w...
Bronze
Darren Romanelli, "DRx Quilted Console", 2022
Located in New York, NY
Darren Romanelli (b. 1976), who goes by the monikers of Dr. Romanelli or DRx, has over 20 years of experience in curation and creative direction. Inspired by his dedication to sustainability and upcycling, Romanelli's collaborations with Converse, the Los Angeles Rams...
Plywood
The British creative talent has turned a series of maquettes into covetable, life-size pieces that retain the delightfully handcrafted quality of the originals.
Get a sneak peak at some of the singular pieces that will be on display at this year's show, which range from vintage masterpieces by legendary makers to innovative creations from emerging talents.
