Born from a collaboration between Emmanuel Babled and Jisamwe, a collective of artisans on the island of Zanzibar, the Zanzibar Chair emerges from generations of local knowledge and a deeply ecological approach to making. Traditionally crafted from flexible branches gathered from the surrounding landscape, the chair is produced entirely from natural materials, without chemical treatment or industrial transformation. More than a piece of furniture, it is a symbol of livelihood and cultural continuity for the community that has preserved its making for generations.
The Zanzibar Chair is part of the Mziwa Project, an ongoing dialogue with Zanzibarian craftsmen that led to the development of several reinterpretations of this vernacular typology. Rooted in nature and shaped by hand, the original chair embodies a quiet intelligence, where necessity, resourcefulness, and beauty converge.
Recast in bronze, the Zanzibar Chair enters a new dimension. The transformation of ephemeral branches into enduring metal becomes a meditation on permanence and memory. While changing material and context, the piece preserves the spirit of its origin, immortalizing a living tradition and paying tribute to the culture from which it emerged.
Balancing vernacular wisdom with sculptural presence, the bronze Zanzibar Chair reflects Emmanuel Babled’s enduring interest in how objects can travel across time and place while carrying with them the stories, gestures, and identities that gave them life.
