The idea isn’t new, but the theme is reprised here with a great deal of fun and experimentation: two-legged seats, seemingly supported by nothing at all, in fact held up by fake shadows they cast. Some of the shadows are long and some are short, so they look more realistic depending on how they’re positioned and where the light is coming from.

This time it is Duffy London driving the designs, toying with basic shapes in various materials and colors (white, wood, metal and more), but going beyond that as well. The “shadows” are actually functional rugs.

The long shadow is one such push, as is the wolf shadow – perhaps a bit kitschy, but certainly entertaining and a talking piece if you can stand having it around the rest of the time. In this case, the rug is made of faux fur.

The tree shadow is another standout. The original Shadow Chair was made of walnut, but newer iterations come in various shades of aluminum.  In any case, it’s a fun illusion that will have people fooled when viewed from afar.

“Without a shadow of a doubt this chair will have you mesmerized by its gravity defying abilities. No, it’s not a magic trick by Derren Brown, it’s a trick of the eye by Duffy London; the secret is that the shadow is actually part of the chair.”

“In 2002, Christopher Duffy, a design graduate at the University of Brighton, made his humble beginning creating products in his kitchen.
Having grown out of the kitchen a long time ago, Duffy London now performs their furniture-making wizardry in a spacious studio in east London.”

“Duffy London’s designs are ideas-based, combining art and function and playing with the concepts of gravity, geometry and illusion.
The innovative and quirky designs spring from the mind of Christopher Duffy, however, he also draws from his talented team of designers, artisans and manufacturers to turn these concepts into quality pieces.”