GIANTS CHAIR

Deep in the forest of Queen Elizabeth Country Park in Hampshire once stood a 30ft wooden sculpture, affectionately known as the Giant’s Chair. Erected in the early 1990s and long since removed, the sculpture became a local legend—its origins mysterious, its presence lingering in memory and myth.

Over thirty years later, artist Flora Bucket embarked on a journey to uncover the truth behind the chair’s story. Through extensive research, oral histories, and site visits, she traced its origins to artist Robert Jakes, revealing that the Giant’s Chair was, in fact, the “Twig Throne” — a gold-painted wooden structure crafted as a site-specific public artwork.

As part of this ongoing project, a documentary-style video was produced, capturing the investigation, archival discoveries, and interviews that brought this fading story back to life. To accompany the research, Flora created a 30ft soft sculpture — a tactile reimagining of the original structure. Hand-sewn from organic hessian and filled with organic straw, this sculptural response acts as both homage and critique: a comment on impermanence, collective memory, and the environmental implications of the materials we choose.

Installed initially at the University of Chichester’s Fine Art BA (Hons) Degree Show in 2021, the sculpture was later exhibited at Aspex Gallery in Portsmouth and finally placed in Queen Elizabeth Country Park. Left to decompose in the landscape where its wooden predecessor once stood, the soft sculpture now becomes part of the forest floor — a quiet protest against industrial permanence and a return to natural cycles.

By using biodegradable, organic materials and traditional handcraft techniques, The Giant’s Chair invites reflection on the textile industry’s role in the climate crisis, while simultaneously mourning and celebrating a once-iconic landmark, now reclaimed by nature.