the Cleo Chair - Evohippus Chair by Stefan Jacobs
the CLEO designed by Stefan Jacobs Inspiration L’Ecurie de Marcelo is my imaginary world where sculptures of eccentric-looking horses come to life in the viewer’s imagination. Each horse has a name, a pedigree, and belongs to a breeding program. There are only a few horses and bloodlines. Each bloodline is inspired by the communities around us and carries, in its identity, materials, and colors, its own unique characteristics. The horses are entirely handmade, and it takes approximately three to four months to create one. They also serve as a metaphor for who we are: we are all identical, and yet completely different. The first horse-like creature ever discovered was the Eohippus, an equine animal about 60 cm tall, with toes on both its front and hind feet. My breed stands at the opposite end of the evolutionary timeline: the Evohippus. It is my vision of how, in my imagination, the domesticated horse we all know will mutate in the future. It is my artistic mission in this life to carry my Evohippus around the world and witness how it will mutate into new forms of beauty. Inspiration is everywhere. Every culture on this planet and beyond carries its own unique characteristics. Not only in the arts, but also in traditions, upbringing, and behavior. These always form the foundation for discovering and imagining new beauty. Through collaborations with artists worldwide, this art project has the potential to continue living long after I am gone. Not only through color and craftsmanship, but also through materials that reflect the essence of a local society. The world evolves. Art must evolve with it. This does not create a collection, but a family. Not a series, but a bloodline. And just as the original horse once spread across the world, so too does my breed spread, not through force, but through imagination. Not bound by the laws of nature, but carried by the freedom of art. For in art, one fundamental truth prevails: What we can dream, we can create. And what we create can come to life.