YARFIE are a series of cat scratchers created by Aelfie and Michael Yarinsky, which are being shown as part of the ODD Experiments show at Cooler Gallery. Before launching her rug business, Aelfie, Aelfie Oudghiri worked in fashion, drummed in punk bands, dropped out of medical school in Budapest, and lived in Morocco. She now resides in Brooklyn with her husband, daughter and cat, The Shah. Michael Yarinsky is an interdisciplinary designer working in architecture, interiors, furniture, and runs Brooklyn’s Cooler Gallery.
The idea with the series was to fall somewhere between cat furniture and sculpture. They wanted to make show pieces people actually would want in their homes – even if they didn’t have a cat. Inspiration came from designers that fell on the cusp of art and design – artists like Ettore Sottsass, Isamu Noguchi, and Peter Shire.
The pieces are CNC milled ash plywood and flat weave rug material. This series shows an oversized scale that was meant to be equal parts free standing sculpture and cat furniture. They plan to create a line of smaller scale, apartment-sized pieces as well.