Quirky, functional designs and fascinating organic artworks that capture transformative moments.

To say that San Francisco-based artist, designer, and artisan Yvonne Mouser is multi-talented would be understatement. Her work spans an array of disciplines, from fine art to furniture, interior, product design, and event venue design, but every project has an arresting feature or detail that captures your attention and doesn’t let go easily. Her work has been exhibited around the world, including at the San Francisco Museum of Craft and Design, the Museum of Craft and Folk Art, and the Headlands Center for the Arts.

Minimalist but playful objects.

Playfulness meets creative function in many designs, like the Tablebarrow table that boasts two wheels and a hidden handle; the Headlands Carrier Stools with handy handles and integrated storage areas; or the Bucket Stool Collection of ash stools designed with bentwood handles and handmade by the Amish in Pennsylvania.

Whether designing furniture or products, Yvonne Mouser pairs minimalist form with function and a splash of ingenuity. Many of her designs draw inspiration from nature and have an organic character. For example, the Charcoal Blocks tables. Made of salvaged Douglas fir beams, they have a blackened finish, asymmetric shapes, and gorgeous grain patterns. Likewise, the Tetherow tables feature multifaceted black wooden blocks that seem to pierce glass tops in a sculptural composition. The tables draw inspiration from the Three Sisters volcanic peaks in Oregon.

As beautifully crafted as her furniture designs, the designer’s product design work brings a touch of whimsy into living spaces. A collector’s chocolate box resembles a leather-bound edition of books, albeit with sweet contents. Quirky brooms with odd shapes make sweeping easy on irregular surfaces like curved ceilings or staircases. A chopping block that not only doubles as a serving tray but also stands on its own without support. Or the broom that references an old superstition and features an ingeniously designed handle that allows the user to either place the object upright or to suspend it off a ledge to protect the bristles.

Captivating, organic artworks.

Organic and thought-provoking, Yvonne Mouser’s sculptures explore “the temporal nature of reality” as captured moments that depict transitions, shifts, or rebirths.

Untitled (Table and Chair) explores fire’s destructive nature as well as its life-giving properties. This work features a completely burned, black wooden chair placed in front of a peeling, scorched dining table. Likewise, Untitled (armchair) reveals a moment of transformation. Here, holes in the wood mimic decay or maybe woodworm holes, but the chair also resembles a coral covered sunken piece of furniture. In the Cellulose series, tubular shapes create organic forms reminiscent of cellular forms, coral reefs, or a honeycomb with round instead of hexagonal cells. Poetic and beautiful, the Disintegrating Vessels series features sand vases with partly disintegrated rims that represent impermanence and decay. Photographs© Yvonne Mouser.

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