The “Mae West Lips Sofa” is a striking artwork by Salvador Dali, created in the period between 1936 and 1937. Fashioned from wood and satin, this piece is emblematic of the Surrealist art movement, with its design and furniture genre components. The artwork is currently housed at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) located in San Francisco, California, United States.
The artwork is a sculptural sofa that takes the form of a pair of voluptuous lips, which are widely accepted to be an homage to the actress Mae West’s own striking lips. The sofa’s seat and backrest mimic the upper and lower lips, painted in a vibrant pinkish-red hue, while the base of the sofa is a softer, skin-toned satin. Its surreal design is intended not only to serve a functional purpose as a piece of furniture but also to provoke thought by blurring the boundaries between art and everyday objects. The sensual curves and suggestive form are characteristic of Dali’s provocative style, which often merged dreamlike imagery with reality, creating functional pieces with a whimsical and subversive twist.
