Set of Two Armchairs Designed by Ueli Berger for De Sede, Lacquered Wood and Leather, Switzerland, 1970s

Ref.: GA004072

This lounge chair features a high backrest and an X-shaped frame. The craftsmanship by De Sede is impeccable, ensuring both the stability of the wooden structure and the high quality of the leather used, dyed in an interesting and warm patinated cognac tone.

Condition:

Very good vintage condition. These tables have been carefully restored but may show signs of use and aging.

Dimensions:

Width: 37.4 inches Depth: 27.6 inches Height: 29.5 inches

About the Designer and Manufacturer:

De Sede: In 1965, the family business became a professional company and was renamed De Sede AG. De Sede products are obsessed with details and primarily focus on the people who own them. Therefore, all De Sede items are made with the best materials, resulting in durability and comfort.The high-quality leather is attributed to De Sede’s origins as a saddlery workshop in Klingnau, Switzerland. Over time, the company expanded its scope and committed to transforming the finest leather into furniture, especially seating. The cushion is also upholstered in cognac leather, showcasing a rhythmic pattern of lines replicated throughout the lounge chair. This line pattern in the leather is very characteristic of Ueli Berger’s furniture and De Sede.

Ueli Berger: Ueli Berger completed his painting apprenticeship with Werner Thomet in the early 1950s. In 1958, he began attending courses at the School of Arts and Crafts in Bern, where he met Susi Berger (then Wyss). In 1960, he began training in furniture design, interior design, and design with an internship with Hans Eichenberger, who had a strong influence on the start of Ueli Berger’s career. From 1965 to 1969, he was head of the design and development department at Troesch in Bern.

Since the mid-1960s, he also worked as an artist, participated in various art exhibitions, and was a member of the avant-garde group “Bern 66.” Throughout his work, he was able to hold numerous solo and group exhibitions at home and abroad. His works include installations, objects, photomontages, and works on paper. All his work was multidisciplinary and repeatedly crossed the boundaries of architecture and design.

Ueli Berger began his artistic work in the tradition of constructivism and over time developed a more experimental approach. He dealt with themes of light, movement, and the interaction between surface and space. From the early 1970s, he created comprehensive artistic designs for buildings and public spaces as well as interventions on demolished objects. In his installations, objects in public spaces often served as a starting point, such as the pedestrian sculpture designed for the eighth plastic exhibition in Biel (1986).

In his work as a designer, especially as a furniture designer, a clear evolution in his approach can be seen between earlier and later works. While he initially adhered to the so-called “good form,” with its functional and economic design thinking, over time, he developed a more playful and fun design approach, which also characterizes his lifelong collaboration with his wife, Susi Berger.

In 1970, he started working independently as an artist and designer. Throughout his career, Ueli Berger developed close collaborations with several universities. He was a co-founder of the Fine Arts specialized class at the Higher School of Design in Bern and held a teaching position there from 1978 to 1993. Between 1982 and 1986, he also held a teaching position in plastic design at ETH Zurich. Finally, he taught at the École cantonale d’art du Valais in Sierre from 2001 to 2002.