Borek Sipek. Ota Otanek Chair for Vitra

BOREK SIPEK (Prague, Czech Republic, 1949-2016) for Vitra.
"Ota Otanek" chair, 1980s.
Carved wood, lacquered steel and copper.
With Vitra labels.
In good condition.
It shows signs of use and the passage of time.
Measurements: 52 x 60 x 75 cm.

The innovative and striking Ota Otanek chair is made of different materials: wood, copper and steel. The seat is carved in wood, painted black. The side legs are made of steel coated with dyed paint. The backrest is made of real copper, hammered in a round shape. It is a distinguished design with round, organic and quadric shapes. Vitra produced this chair in a limited series, a true collector's item.

Borek Sipek trained in interior design at the School of Arts and Crafts in Prague. He completed his studies in architecture at the University of Applied Arts in Hamburg and philosophy at the Technical University of Stuttgart, before setting up his design studio in Amsterdam in 1983. In the 1980s he began collaborating with Driade, for whom he designed furniture and objects characterized by their tremendous originality, a collaboration that was decisive for the success of his career. At Driade he became one of the brand's main collaborators alongside Philippe Starck, Oscar Tusquets and Antonia Astori. He was later one of the initiators of the construction of the Ajeto glass factory to support the traditions of Bohemian glassblowing, where the best craftsmen dedicated themselves to the creation of high-end pieces. He firmly entered Milan's design circles, where he was invited to collaborate with Alessi, Cleto Murani, Sawaya & Moroni, Wittmann and the Swiss brand Vitra. In the late 1980s, he traveled to Asia, where he became acquainted with the Japanese polychrome lacquer technique: he created an atypical Urushi Arai collection, where his usual techniques for glass were rendered in wood. Throughout his career he has received numerous awards, including the honorable mention in the German Architecture Prize (1983), the Dutch Kho Liang Le Dutch Kho Liang Design Award (1989), La Croix Chevalier dans l'ordre des Arts et Lettres by the French government (1991), the Prince Bernhard Fonds Award for Architecture and Applied Arts of the Netherlands (1993) and the Talent De L'Originalite" - Le Sommet du Luxe et de la Creation award, among others. Between 1990 and 2003 he held the title of court architect of Prague Castle appointed by Václav Havel, president of the former Czechoslovakia, later the Czech Republic.