Design

Never-Before-Seen Frank Lloyd Wright Furniture Designs Go on View

The “Frank Lloyd Wright: Modern Chair Design” exhibition at the Museum of Wisconsin Art presents over 40 of the architect’s most significant pieces

By Alexandria Sillo

October 8, 2025

Two wooden armchairs with red cushions, viewed from the back and side on a plain white background. — Frank Lloyd Wright, *Dining Chairs* (two), for the Malcolm Willey House, Minneapolis, designed c. 1932–34. Photo: Courtesy of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, Scottsdale, Arizona

While the architectural feats of American icon Frank Lloyd Wright are well-known and celebrated, a new exhibition seeks to cast light on his lasting influence in the world of furniture design. The recently opened “Frank Lloyd Wright: Modern Chair Design” exhibition at the Museum of Wisconsin Art is diving into the architect’s groundbreaking approach to furniture design, which stems from the belief that chairs must be understood as living designs.

Wooden chair with a high backrest and a beige cushion, featuring a modern geometric design on a plain background. — Frank Lloyd Wright, *Armchair,* for Taliesin, Spring Green, Wisconsin, designed c. 1914, fabricated 2025 by Stafford Norris, III. Photo: Museum of Wisconsin Art, West Bend; Courtesy of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, Scottsdale, Arizona

Triangular wooden table with geometric design, paired with a matching angular chair on a plain background. — Frank Lloyd Wright, *Chair and Table,* for the Tree Room, Taliesin Fellowship Complex, Spring Green, Wisconsin, designed 1932; fabricated 2025 by Current Projects. Photo: Museum of Wisconsin Art, West Bend; Courtesy of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, Scottsdale, Arizona

“By viewing Wright’s furniture, specifically his chair designs, through the lens of Taliesin as a creative incubator, this exhibition reveals the experimental nature of his process and offers a fresh perspective on his architectural vision,” says Thomas Szolwinski, MOWA’s associate curator of architecture and design. “In the wider history of exhibitions dedicated to Wright, this show marks an important moment of reexamination and rediscovery.”

Frank Lloyd Wright, *Hillside Dining Room Chair,* for the Taliesin Fellowship Complex, Spring Green, Wisconsin, designed c. 1939–40. Photo: Courtesy of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, Scottsdale, Arizona

Wooden table with two shelves and a simple, minimalist design against a white background. — Frank Lloyd Wright, *“Mori” Chair,* for the S. Mori Oriental Art Studio and Japanese Print Shop, Chicago, designed c. 1914–15. Photo: Collection of Frank Lloyd Wright Trust, Oak Park, Illinois, with permission from the University of Illinois, Chicago; Courtesy of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, Scottsdale, Arizona

Showcasing over 40 of the American icon’s most significant works, the exhibit also features never-before-seen furniture experiments, work by Wright’s great-grandson, and the first-ever chairs he designed for the Guggenheim Museum café. “When Wright rebuilt Taliesin after two major fires, he paired the new architecture with significant new and unprecedented furniture forms that were rejected by his clients at the time for their unconventionality,” says Eric Vogel, scholar-in-residence at the Taliesin Institute. “MOWA has recreated several of these lost or never-produced works, offering the viewer a unique opportunity to experience these bold forms in person.”