# Colorfully Synthetic Furniture Misha Kahn's Pig Bench Uses Man-Made Materials to Mimic Nature By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2013-04-16 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pig-bench References: [wgsn-hbl.blogspot](http://wgsn-hbl.blogspot.ca/2013/04/pig-bench-by-misha-kahn.html) & [cargocollective](http://cargocollective.com/milan2013nyc/Misha-Kahn) The Pig Bench by Misha Kahn is a simple seating unit designed to look like it was cut from a tree, but is actually made completely of synthetic materials. The intent of the design is to make a commentary on the juxtaposition of technology in the American midwest, where "Wi-Fi coexists with log cabins," an excerpt taken from the Cargo Collective website. This hybrid of natural and synthetic biology re-imagines organic plant life as if it was comprised of man-made materials like conduit, rope and tinsel. The myriad of objects form chemically created growths, layers and rings that are like psychedelic versions of geodes, tree bark or barnacles. The Rhode Island School of Design alumni's bench was recently showcased at Milan's Venture Lambrate in April 2013. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.9/10 - Popularity: 51% | Activity: 58% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 30% men, 70% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Furniture](https://www.trendhunter.com/furniture) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Synthetic Materials:** Exploring the use of man-made materials to mimic natural elements in innovative designs. - **Hybrid Design:** Blending organic and synthetic elements to create unique and visually striking products. - **Chemically Created Growth:** Creating chemically-induced growth patterns and textures inspired by nature. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Furniture:** Opportunity for furniture designers to experiment with using synthetic materials to create nature-inspired pieces. - **Art and Sculpture:** Artists and sculptors can explore the concept of hybrid design to create visually captivating artworks. - **Home Decor:** Home decor industry can incorporate chemically created growth patterns in products like decorative objects and wall art. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Sustainable Paper-Infused Benches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/detalji-bench.md) - [Dual Sculpture Seating Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/immaterial-0001.md) - [Bold Patterned Tubular Benches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/leopard-bench.md) - [Chic Recycled Aluminum Benches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bello-bench.md) - [Playful Outdoor Seating](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-new-raw-1.md) - [Cocoon-Inspired Bench Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gandan-bench.md) - [Sculptural Gravity Benches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/floating-bench.md) - [Contemporary Upcycled Bright Benches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/remix-maison-1.md) - [Threshold Bench Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/torii.md)