Javier Mariscal

JAVIER MARISCAL (Valencia, 1950), for Moroso
“Alessandra” Armchair, designed in 1995.
Internal steel frame and polyurethane foam, upholstered in multicolored fabric, with wooden legs.
Measurements: 112 x 98 x 98 cm.

The “Alessandra” armchair, designed by Javier Mariscal for Moroso in 1995, belongs to that borderland between furniture, image, and character that characterizes much of the Valencian designer’s creative universe. Moroso itself links the model to Mariscal’s free, provocative, and playful style, as well as to his work across diverse disciplines, ranging from graphic design to interior design, painting, and sculpture.

Its organic form, deliberately eschewing straight lines, is constructed from rounded volumes and overlapping surfaces. The multicolored upholstery functions almost like a textile collage: each section of the armchair appears to be an autonomous piece that, when joined with the others, creates a vibrant image reminiscent of comics, pop art, and postmodern sensibilities. Moroso describes the model precisely through this concept of organic forms, patchwork, and fragmentation—conceived more as an image than as pure volume.

“Alessandra” offers an evocative and theatrical presence. Its enveloping arms, high, sinuous backrest, and color combination transform the armchair into a piece with a strong personality—somewhere between a domestic throne, a playful object, and a soft sculpture.

Javier Mariscal is one of the most recognizable Spanish creators on the contemporary international scene. A multidisciplinary artist and designer, he has worked in illustration, furniture, graphic design, interior design, animation, and urban projects. His artistic language, rooted in Mediterranean culture and pop culture, gained widespread recognition with Cobi, the mascot of the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. In the field of furniture, his collaboration with Moroso resulted in pieces such as “Alessandra” and “Saula Marina,” both from 1995.