Toshiki Omatsu's GHOST chair redefines aluminum design, combining minimalism and technological innovation to create an ambiguous, delicate form that balances tension with surprising comfort.
In Toshiki Omatsu’s provocative new design, "GHOST," contradictions form a striking harmony. Far from a conventional chair's stability and predictability, Omatsu offers a seating experience suspended between delicacy and tension. Crafted entirely from aluminum with an exquisite hairline finish, the GHOST chair seems to hover gently, defying expectations yet inviting engagement through its intriguingly uncertain presence. While sitting, one experiences a palpable tension due to the extremely thin seat devoid of traditional support structures—yet the chair simultaneously delivers surprising ergonomic comfort through a carefully contoured recess in the backrest.
Omatsu’s innovative technique, "incremental forming," allows metal plates to be shaped into complex three-dimensional forms without molds, producing subtle curves and ambiguous depths. This technological innovation transforms the aluminum plate into a nuanced surface that captures and refracts light, enhancing the ethereal quality of the design. The visual ambiguity of the backrest’s recess, combined with the chair’s minimal structural footprint, creates the impression of an apparition—a chair simultaneously present and absent, materially robust yet visually elusive.
Building upon his earlier piece, "Shades of Michelangelo," Omatsu fully embraces aluminum in GHOST, replacing wooden legs with sleek aluminum components that can be stacked for practicality without sacrificing aesthetic elegance. After meticulous experimentation, Omatsu discovered a method where a single 3mm aluminum sheet seamlessly forms the back panel, seat, and part of the front legs, complemented by square pipe legs for reinforcement. The resultant structure, free from cross-members, pushes material limits to achieve unprecedented thinness and structural clarity.
At its core, GHOST encapsulates the tension and ambiguity emblematic of contemporary life—where solidity dissolves into fluidity and certainty fades into suggestion. Omatsu’s creation subtly yet decisively captures this zeitgeist, offering a strikingly original interpretation of functional design through material innovation and sophisticated aesthetics. This chair not only challenges conventional expectations but also redefines the language of modern furniture.
