Designed and Made by:

Damon Johnstun

Raven Sofa in Wolfs Skin​

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I was born in Portland Oregon and have early memories of picking up my grandfather at the airport. It was a big deal and we got dressed up just to wait for him. I may have waited on the exact bench I have repurposed.

Approaching this project, I was inspired by flight and the native art of the Pacific Northwest. I love the work of Charles Edenshaw. Inspired by his work, I wanted to draw on the Haida tradition in an abstract and 3-Dimensional way.

I chose to based project Raven due to its ability to fly. Raven’s have proportionally large brains and rival dolphins in intelligence. Ravens use tools to solve problems. In regional native folklore, the raven is a trickster and can take the form of people, animals and object. I wanted the project to be both contemporary and approachable. I studied many native illustrations of ravens and cut the shapes to evoke the illustrations. I thought, if the Raven can change form, the fake fur I chose looked like the fur of another native animal, the wolf.

All the structural elements have been reused from the original. The side braces were repurposed into braces from the seat to the back as well as the lounge leg. I cut, assembled, upholstered, ground metal, hand stitched, polished the marble assembled myself. Please forgive any imperfections. It is one of a kind.

I am particularly proud of the arm. It is the perfect height to rest your head when you take a nap. I have tested it!