A Cane Chair Takes Pride of Place in a West Oakland Plant Shop
Kalu Gebreyohannes and J’Maica Roxanne of Blk Girls Green House share why they find the chair both powerful and beautiful.
Kalu Gebreyohannes and J’Maica Roxanne of Blk Girls Green House share why they find the chair both powerful and beautiful.
Kalu Gebreyohannes: A friend of my boyfriend’s, designer Dee Speed, makes really dope furniture, and she was clearing space in her studio and this chair became available. He snagged it, and I was slick and brought it to our shop as a prop for my birthday party. It was cool because we didn’t have to force it—it just flowed really well with the space.
Photo: Aaron Wojack
J’Maica Roxanne: We keep it by a window, and we’ll adorn it with plants or a beautiful black-and-white throw we carry in the store. People gravitate toward it when they come in, and they have this reaction like, "Oh my gosh, this is beautiful!" They sit and take photos and feel comfortable doing so because so much of our space, including the chair, is reflective of our culture.
KG: For me, the chair is bold but refined, which speaks to who we are. On its own, it’s powerful and beautiful. We hope people have the courage to be bold but know that that doesn’t have to have a negative connotation. You can be bold, you can exist.
JR: The chair’s got a stable base and kind of wings at the top, which speaks to being rooted and standing firm in your foundation. But it’s still beautiful and refined at the same time.
KG: Sitting in it feels like a good, warm hug. That’s something we want people to feel when they come to our shop—"I’m in this space, and I feel welcome and celebrated." And when they leave, they’re just a little happier than when they came in.
JR: And it’s just a really fly chair.
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