And in the reimagined Mah Jong, her careful treatment of identity is clear: The sofa’s recognizable square cushions retain their DNA, but Vasconcelos wove in a fantastically sculptural dimension that rethinks its entire look and feel. Now, almost 50 years after its debut, the French design staple has undergone a dramatic transformation at the hands of Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos, who uses such handicraft techniques as embroidery and crochet to create vibrant large-scale sculptures that comment on cultural identity and feminism.
The premise was simple: with near-infinite configurations, people will have the freedom to rearrange their living spaces as they see fit. In 1971, Hans Hopfer introduced the forward-looking Mah Jong sofa for Roche Bobois as an ode to function and form.
Joana Vasconcelos with her Mah Jong sofa for Roche Bobois …
