My most famous sofa is the ‘Gioconda’ sofa designed in 1995. Self-cut from foam and wood in full size. While I was working in the production, so days and days welding… blacksmithing…Designing was while I was standing behind my welding desk.. Doing my job almost on the ‘automatic pilot’… Thinking about a friendly form… where to put your arms..
A couch like an embrace
My business companions were on vacation for a week, which was lovely, I knew I was free but there was also haste behind it. I cut into the foam and there she stood. I tried and tried.. cutting away the foam like a sculpture.
Like a sculpture
Suddenly there was the form, it became an embrace, and also the back of the sofa, very important. So it became a couch excellent for free standing in space… useful for lobby’s or just like a sculpture in private homes…
The back of the couch is also worth designing…
When the prototype was ready, with help of an excellent upholstery lady while I was looking the name came into my mind, free after Da Vinci, the Mona Lisa also called la Gioconda, just like the portrait: is she smiling or looking seriously?