The collection
Armchair of thousands of sheets of pleated white paper.
2000

Armchair, Honey-Pop

Designed by
Tokujin Yoshioka (born 1967)
Material
Glassine paper
Produced by
Tokujin Yoshioka Design, Tokyo, Japan
Dimensions
81.5 x 70.5 x 76 cm

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Liliane and David M. Stewart Collection, 2004.251

The honeycomb structure of this chair is made of 120 sheets of glassine paper piled together and cut so that they open like an accordion, like whimsical paper decorations that unfold to create three-dimensional forms.

The honeycomb cells in the outermost layer are compressed when a person sits in the chair, making a permanent impression and creating the seat’s final form. Yoshioka’s earlier collaborations with clothing designer Issey Miyake and designer Shiro Kuramata are apparent in the playful use of fragile-looking materials and pleating.

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, photo: Denis Farley.