MILAN, ITALY - Japanese designers Naoki Ono and Yuuki Yamamoto of YOY have taken the 3D painting concept even further with their screen-printed canvas chairs that function as both art and furniture.

The duo debuted their “Canvas” series as the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan last week, presenting a set of flat, stretched canvases depicted screen-printed images of pieces of Victorian furniture. Leaning against the wall at an acute angle, the canvases appear to be trendy works of art. But those brave enough to embrace the illusion and actually sit in the depicted chair were delighted to discover that their body weight can actually be supported by the surprisingly elastic canvas.

Architizer News blogged, "... unlike the stiff, upholstered furniture they cheekily convey, the canvases stretch to conform to the shapes of individual bodies, and they take up about the same amount of space as the average folding chair. Just stick it behind an open door when you’re done with it, or even better, hang it on the wall."