Curved Chair by Studio Job, the Netherlands, 1998

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Curved Chair designed by Studio Job, The Netherlands 1998. This rare so called Curved Chair was produced in a limited … Read more Curved Chair designed by Studio Job, The Netherlands 1998. This rare so called Curved Chair was produced in a limited edition of only 35 pieces and represents one of the very first designs created by Job Smeets shortly after founding Studio Job. The chair was launched and sold exclusively at De Bijenkorf, a renowned Dutch high-end department store. Over time, this piece has become a modern design icon, featured in international museum collections and numerous publications on chair design. The chair is made of multiply wood finished in a warm chocolate brown tone and coated in a brown PU lacquer (RAL code 8017). Its elegant, continuous S-shape reflects both conceptual clarity and formal refinement. This particular example is hand-signed by Job Smeets, numbered 034, and dated October 2000, making it an especially collectible piece within this limited production. The Curved Chair can be seen as a contemporary interpretation of Zig-Zag Chair by Gerrit Rietveld from 1938, a one-piece plywood construction that has become a canonical work in modernist furniture. Job’s version embraces the same formal simplicity but softens the sharp geometry into a fluid, sculptural curve. This gesture already reveals the aesthetic language that would later define Studio Job: a bold, playful yet deeply referential approach to design. The chair is in very good original condition, with only minor corner wear consistent with age. Restoration is possible upon request, though the piece remains highly presentable and historically important as is. Studio Job, founded in 1998 by Job Smeets (later joined by Nynke Tynagel), is widely recognized as one of the most influential contemporary Dutch design studios of the late 1990s and 2000s. Together with contemporaries such as Richard Hutten, Maarten Baas and Atelier Van Lieshout, Studio Job helped define the so-called “golden era” of Dutch design, characterized by conceptual strength, material experimentation and a distinctive blend of wit and craftsmanship. This early chair marks the beginning of that trajectory. It captures the moment where Job’s sculptural language and sense of design narrative began, making it a rare and significant collector’s item in the history of contemporary Dutch design. Literature; Bold Studio Job, Able publishers. See less