The sculptor and painter Pedro Friedeberg worked in a richly detailed, Surrealist and eccentric artistic style that blended influences from neoclassical art, M.C. Escher and native Mesoamerican symbolism. He was best known for his Hand chair — a functional sculpture that is an icon of design-as-art.
Friedeberg was born in Florence to German parents and moved with his mother to Mexico at the outset of World War II. As a university student in Mexico City in the 1950s, he initially studied architecture, but his designs for fantastical buildings ran afoul of his rationalist, Bauhaus-oriented teachers.
By chance, Friedeberg’s drawings came to the attention of Mathias Goeritz, the German-born Dadaist painter and sculptor. He encouraged Friedeberg and made him a protégé. Friedeberg credits his mentor for instilling in him a fanatical attention to detail in his work. Friedeberg produced his first Hand chair in 1961, and has since created numerous iterations. He has also made several variants using other human limbs in different functional forms such as tables and clocks.
While Friedeberg’s sculptures have a gentle character that is sometimes described as spiritual, his paintings and prints are something entirely different. He employs deep perspective to create hypnotic, painstakingly rendered canvases that suggest rooms and cityscapes.
Whatever the medium, Friedeberg’s work is arresting and instantly recognizable. The Hand chair, though familiar, remains a captivating piece — both furniture and artwork — that stands apart in any interior. Examples are often priced between $20,000 and $30,000, depending on formal variations (such as a foot-shaped pedestal), material and condition. Smaller functional items such as tabletop clocks bring about $9,000. His paintings and drawings require space; they are meant to be contemplated. Prices on original examples start at about $30,000; prints generally sell in the region of $900.
As you will see on 1stDibs, the art and design of Pedro Friedeberg is singular and memorable.
Pair of Surreal Miniature Wooden Hand and Foot Chair Sculptures
By Pedro Friedeberg
Located in Houston, TX
Dimensions listed are for each individual hand and the price is for the pair. Artist Biography: Artist and designer Pedro Friedeberg is known for his surrealist paintings, prints, a...
Wood
Mano Sol Giltwood Sculpture, Surrealist, Late 20th Century, Signed
By Pedro Friedeberg
Located in Aventura, FL
Carved giltwood sculpture. Signed Pedro Friedberg on the underside of the base. Size: 10 x 3.25 x 1.5 inches. Certificate of Authenticity is included. Artwork is in excellent co...
Gold Leaf
Mano Luna Giltwood Sculpture, Surrealist, Late 20th Century, Signed
By Pedro Friedeberg
Located in Aventura, FL
Carved giltwood sculpture. Signed Pedro Friedberg on the underside of the base. Size: 10 x 3.25 x 1.5 inches. Certificate of Authenticity is included. Artwork is in excellent co...
Gold Leaf
$1,700Sale Price|50% Off
H 18.5 in W 17 in D 18 in
CHROMA aka Rick Wolfryd ¨KNOCK OUT: from the GREATEST SERIES¨ 2026 2 pieces !!
By CHROMA aka Rick Wolfryd
Located in Cuauhtemoc, Ciudad de México
THE GREATEST!!!!!! ALTERATION ART . . . is a collaboration process between CHROMA aka Rick Wolfryd, fine artist and art dealer with over 40 years experience, and various Mexican Hui...
Glass, Mixed Media
$6,550
H 33.47 in W 43.71 in D 14.18 in
Female Figure Architectural Sculpture in Chestnut Wood House Tower Form
By Jose Perozo
Located in FISTERRA, ES
Architectural female figure sculpture in chestnut wood combining body, house and tower architecture in a surreal anthropotectural form. Ática is a unique sculptural work by Spanish ...
Wood
$8,500
H 18 in W 7 in D 7 in
Large Original Surrealist Bronze Marble Sculpture Alma Del Quijote Salvador Dali
By Salvador Dalí
Located in Surfside, FL
Salvador Dali (Spanish, 1904-1989) Alma del Quijote Bronze with marble base Edition: AB 52/100 Signed by Dalí This Surrealist sculpture depicts a dynamic and fragmented Don Quixote...
Marble, Bronze
$4,500
H 23 in W 4 in D 4 in
Cuban Master Florencio Gelabert Sculpture Large Wood Carving Bust Man Portrait
Located in Surfside, FL
Florencio Gelabert Y Perez (Cuban, 1904-1995) Hand carved, signed; 1979 Materials: Cuban wood (mahogany?) Dimensions 23 X 4 X 4 inches Label affixed to underside: National Registry of Cultural Assets of the Republic of Cuba Ministry of Culture. Provenance: Art Master Collection, Miami, Florida. Florencio Gelabert, with a style reminiscent of Art Deco and Art Nouveau in a Latin American Expressionist stylization. Carved wood sculpture. Depicts a modernist stylized form of a man in a streamline moderne style. José Florencio Gelabert Pérez (Caibarien, 1904 - Havana, 1995) Cuban musician, sculptor, draftsman and teacher. He graduated from the San Alejandro National Academy of Fine Arts in 1934. He received numerous awards, mentions and recognitions in Fine Arts Halls and Circles. His works are in the permanent collection of the National Museum of Fine Arts. Florencio Gelabert is a renowned sculptor, who made more than twenty solo exhibitions beginning in 1929, several in the National Museum of Fine Arts, and participated in more than thirty collectives in Cuba, Spain and Brazil, the latter in the Sao Paulo Biennial. he traveled from Caibarién to Santa Clara in 1928 to audition to enter the famous San Alejandro Fine Arts School in Havana. He obtained one of the five vacancies. Already in the Cuban capital, he combined fine arts and music. When he graduated, he became a professor in San Alejandro and the academy’s principal in 1960. With a calling common to wood sculptors –which began with his primary school carving carpentry classes and the active life of his home town’s shipyards, his chisels and gouges feverishly turned mahogany, “ácana” and ebony into female heads with black African features dating back to 1930. In 1938 he used his savings to explore Europe: France (Paris, Marseilles), Italy (Naples, Rome, Florence, and Venice), Belgium (Malina). His encounter with the works by Aristide Maillol, Auguste Rodin, Ossip Zadkine, Constantin Brancusi and even with Wifredo Lam, who was also born in another Cuban coastal area, Sagua la Grande, and his encounter with the nude marble David sculpture...
Wood
$326Sale Price|30% Off
H 15.75 in W 7.88 in D 4.34 in
Contemporary Ceramic Figurative Sculpture Expressive Male Figure Gold Accent
By Óscar Aldonza Torres
Located in FISTERRA, ES
Contemporary ceramic figurative sculpture featuring an expressive vertical male figure with gold accents and performative presence. This hand built ceramic sculpture belongs to the ...
Gold Leaf
$6,800
H 37 in W 70 in D 24 in
Jon Brooks Lacquered Wood Sculpture with Colored Pencil, Nestor the Dog, 1988
Located in Milford, NH
A unique sculpture of Nestor the Dog made from lacquered wood with colored pencil by American artist Jon Brooks (20th century). Brooks was born in Mancheste...
Wood, Color Pencil
$13,500
H 10.2 in W 3.5 in D 4.3 in
Carmen - Castanets, Bronze Sculpture, Incised Signature, Edition of 350
By Salvador Dalí
Located in Aventura, FL
Bronze sculpture with green patina on a marble base. Incised Salvador Dali signature on sculpture verso. Stamp numbered 224/350 on sculpture verso. Size: 10.2 x 3.5 x 4.3 inches (...
Paper, Lithograph
$6,200
H 21.5 in W 12 in D 6.5 in
Mexican Art Abstract Brutalist Gilt Steel Geometric Sculpture Mathias Goeritz
By Mathias Goeritz
Located in Surfside, FL
Mathias Goeritz (German Mexican, 1915-1990) Geometric Torch-cut Steel or Iron Sculpture with gold leaf gilding. Welded signature, MG. This came from an estate and is signed with his ...
Iron, Gold Leaf, Steel
$25,587
H 82.68 in W 13.78 in D 15.75 in
Chorus III Acacia Wooden Sculpture Big In Stock
By Thomas Junghans
Located in Utrecht, NL
Chorus III Acacia Wooden Sculpture Big In Stock Junghans (1956, Recklinghausen) creates abstract sculptures in stone, wood and bronze, mos...
Wood
$326Sale Price|30% Off
H 15.75 in W 7.88 in D 4.34 in
Contemporary Ceramic Figurative Sculpture The Magician Gold Accented Hand Built
By Óscar Aldonza Torres
Located in FISTERRA, ES
Contemporary ceramic figurative sculpture representing an archetypal magician figure with gold accents and theatrical presence. Titled The Magician, this hand built ceramic sculptur...
Gold Leaf
$625
H 13 in W 8 in D 8 in
Street Spirits: Fitting In - Abstract Expressionist Figurative Table Sculpture
By Soren Grau
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Drawing inspiration from cultural icons and global events, Soren Grau's street art-infused Neo-expressionism invites art enthusiasts to be a part of a narrative larger than life. In ...
Concrete
$14,625
H 14.6 in W 6.3 in D 2.8 in
Homage to Newton Bronze Sculpture, Surrealist, Signed, Edition of 350
By Salvador Dalí
Located in Aventura, FL
Bronze with patina sculpture. Incised signature by the artist and stamp numbered with foundry and date. From the edition of 350. Size including marble plinth approx. 15 x 8.5 x 3.5 ...
Bronze
Sold
H 11.5 in W 7 in D 5.5 in
Reloj Astrologico (rare bronze sculpture with working clock)
By Pedro Friedeberg
Located in Aventura, FL
Bronze sculpture with a working clock. Incised Pedro Friedberg on the base. Incised PA (artist proof) on the base. Certificate of Authenticity is included. Artwork is in excelle...
Bronze
Reloj Astrologico (rare signed bronze sculpture)
By Pedro Friedeberg
Located in Aventura, FL
Bronze sculpture. Incised Pedro Friedberg on the base. Incised PA (artist proof) on the base. Certificate of Authenticity is included. Artwork is in excellent condition. All re...
Bronze
Piedra Filosofal (Philosopher Stone) (8/10)
By Pedro Friedeberg
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist and designer Pedro Friedeberg is known for his surrealist paintings, prints, and sculptural furniture. He was the subject of a 2009 retrospective at the Museo del Palacio de B...
Gold Leaf
Sold
H 5.75 in W 10 in D 5.75 in
BANCA ZIGURATICA NINIVESCA DE 3 PLAZAS (SCULPTURE)
By Pedro Friedeberg
Located in Aventura, FL
Wood sculpture with gold color trim. Hand signed and numbered on the underside by the artist. From the edition of 4. Certificate of Authenticity is included. Artwork is in excellent condition. All reasonable offers will be considered. About the Artist: Pedro Friedeberg is a contemporary Mexican artist...
Wood
FRUTERO TRIPIE (SCULPTURE)
By Pedro Friedeberg
Located in Aventura, FL
Hand painted wood sculpture. Hand signed on the underside by the artist. Edition of 2. Certificate of Authenticity is included. Artwork is in excellent condition. All reasonable ...
Wood
SILLA DE GOBERNATE CUADRO (SCULPTURE)
By Pedro Friedeberg
Located in Aventura, FL
Wood sculpture with gold color trim. Hand signed and numbered on the underside by the artist. PA (artist proof) edition. Certificate of Authenticity is included. Artwork is in e...
Wood
SILLA DE REGLA TRIANGULO (SCULPTURE)
By Pedro Friedeberg
Located in Aventura, FL
Wood sculpture with gold color trim. Hand signed and numbered on the underside by the artist. PA (artist proof) edition. Certificate of Authenticity is included. Artwork is in excellent condition. All reasonable offers will be considered. About the Artist: Pedro Friedeberg is a contemporary Mexican artist...
Wood
SILLA DE PIE Y MANO (LARGE)
By Pedro Friedeberg
Located in Aventura, FL
Carved wood sculpture. Engraved artist signature on the underside. Certificate of Authenticity is included. Please do not hesitate to ask us any further questions. All reasonable ...
Wood
SILLA POLICROMADA (SCULPTURE)
By Pedro Friedeberg
Located in Aventura, FL
Bronze sculpture. Engraved artist signature and edition on the underside. From the edition of 8. Certificate of Authenticity is included. Please do not hesitate to ask us any fu...
Bronze