With a new collection of creatures, Valentin Loellmann 

dares to revive furniture objects out of impossible matter.

The series will experiment with the decayed substances such as stone, coal and ash.

Shaped and carved from anthracite coal a flimsy body emerges standing on homuncular feet. 

Almost shy this first piece incorporates five oak caskets, as if it would like to conceal treasures inside. Its bizarre contrast has an almost inverse tension.

While the whole body forms a sympathic gesture and motion you would like to hold in your arms, its edgy and sharp surface of coal rock pushes you off. An object with a clandestine, inner personality desires to be discovered, but is not offering the easy way to encounter.

the pieces I make have always developed from a curiosity; a curiosity towards materials, their travels and the histories they tell. using craftsmanship techniques, I create new narratives with them. I treat my materials like living organisms, for they represent the opportunity to merge with other elements in various ways and in their fusion stamp the final piece with its unique character. the pieces are hand-made from old bankirai wood, reinforced with a polyester skin –referring to both their historical and contemporary features.

built up around the idea of the family, 'm.&mme' is a long-term project to which ten new pieces are added each year, giving expression to the family narrative that runs as a red thread through this collection. each new piece expresses both the memory of the former, as well as a possible direction of the pieces that are still to come. although my pieces travel the world and their forms alter and grow as I change and develop, their shared mood and ability to spark memory always provide traces of the strong body from which they grew.

since the pieces do not only get their meaning from their individual characteristics but also from their relation to one another, to the story that connects them and to the man that made them, it becomes unclear whether you experience one object or many, whether their aim is functional or relational, whether you produce or create or whether you obtain or adopt.

m.&mme 2012                                                                           

a piece is born

 "first, a leg emerged, my body showed its shape, and finally I stood up. wandering around in the alleys of life I feel being a reminder to my creator's memories.

don't get fooled by my apparent stable posture. my allure and my unique character can unfold into a world of motion, dynamism and play. it is a world in which my owner sets the rules, and in which stability is rare. my appearance caches a story and its narrative course is driven by my viewers' imagination. approach me from a distinct perspective and I will reveal you another part of myself! follow the melodies of my forms. they will lead you into a world where aesthetics meet fantasy. I am now finding existence in this world."

m.&mme 2011                                                                           

m.&mme 2010                                                                            

this new addition to the spring/summer series demands discovery. 

The clean desk has an almost leathery, pleasing surface, consisting of oak that is charred to black, then waxed and hand-polished until fine grains of oak just barely reappear.

The backside surprises: almost invisible, awry metal-plated layers are welded to form a bellied body with a subtile descend into tender hammered legs. The copperered surface has a dim, sometimes green patina with dark edges and corners, where the different sheets of metal adjoin.

This reverse side almost seems to resemble the frozen thoughts once contemplated at such desk. 

Like sheets of paper - conserved for longevity, spines of books melted to a cold continuum it contrasts the comfortable, warm top side. 

Only a tiny drawer interjects into the fine line where wood and metal meet.

the collection spring/summer can be seen as both a continuation and a reflection of the approach developed in the fall/winter collection. the collection spring/summer, to which new pieces will be added from time to time, consists of pieces with an oak top around which a metal body is modeled. the forged structure of the base resembles the organic forms of pieces grown together, though here obtained with a cold material. the oak top is slightly bent, burned and sanded with wax, resulting in a matte, leathery finish.

the electroformed copper body sculpted around the seat introduces a cool material, but radiates a warm glow that contrasts and complements the dark oak top and mirrors the season from which it sprang through its changing colors.

spring/summer 2012                                                                   

the collection fall/winter consists of stools, benches and tables with different dimensions, functions and structures. although diverse in size and set-up, all pieces are characterized by a similar working process in which mortise-and-tenon joints are used to connect hazel branches to an oak top. a mixture of sawdust and glue is used to fill and round off these connections, resulting in an esthetic, organic form in which no sharp edges remain.

the pieces are burned and treated with wax, after which the top is sanded, polished and treated with oil. the hazel branches, chosen for their strength and straightness, introduce a natural dynamic into the final structure and give each piece a distinct though recognizable character. each piece is hand-made, marked and numbered.

fall/winter 2011/2012                                                                

fall/winter 2010/2011                                                                      

the inner body of this stool consists of cut-offs from aged and weathered ship planks, a mixture of yellow balau and red ironwood. although both inherently solid materials, they are puzzled together and enclosed by a thick polyester skin that binds them, resulting once again in a solid structure. the surface is finished by hand, giving the stool a very light and soft look as well as revealing its inner bodies in order to show both their individual solidity as well as their dependency on one another and the skin that holds them together.

titled "krukje", these stools are limited to an edition of five pieces per year, in which every piece is hand-made and unique.

kruk 2009/2010                                                                          

past memories 2009