SERWAA
SERWAA is a minimalist chair created by London-based designer Giles Tettey Nartey. The SERWAA chair pays homage to the rich cultural heritage of the Lobi people, seamlessly blending the traditional design of their iconic West African chairs with contemporary materials and sensibilities. Rooted in the connection between the Lobi people and the earth, the SERWAA chair retains a grounded, low-profile silhouette that encourages the user to engage with their surroundings in a profoundly intimate and symbolic manner. Unlike the elevated seating common in Western furniture, the SERWAA chair positions the occupant closer to the ground, fostering a deeper sense of communion with the natural world. The chair’s wide, angled legs serve as the primary points of contact, with the seat acting as the third, guiding the user’s gaze upwards towards the sky.
This unique orientation invites the sitter to embrace a more contemplative, introspective posture, blurring the boundaries between the practical and the spiritual. Traditionally, Lobi chairs were carved from a single piece of wood, a testament to the region’s abundant natural resources and the mastery of its craftspeople. The SERWAA chair, however, introduces aluminum as its primary material, creating a dialogue between the enduring legacy of West African design and the sleek, industrial aesthetics of the modern era. This bold choice raises intriguing questions about the evolution of traditional forms and their place within the broader landscape of contemporary furniture design.
The concept for the SERWAA chair emerged from a serendipitous encounter with a Lobi chair in use at a Ghanaian market, where it was seamlessly integrated into the rhythms of daily life rather than presented as a mere commodity. This observation inspired the designer to reinterpret the everyday object, imbuing it with a new sense of purpose and relevance in the modern context. By embracing aluminum, the SERWAA chair bridges the gap between the timeless elegance of traditional West African aesthetics and the polished, industrial sensibilities that have come to define 20th-century design. The result is a piece that pays homage to its origins while asserting its place as a compelling and innovative addition to the contemporary furniture landscape, inviting a re-evaluation of how we perceive and value traditional forms in the modern world.