You’ve probably noticed from past articles that I am an animal lover, and therefore it should be no surprise that I occasionally enjoy taking our focus to animal-themed products. On that note, I’d like to introduce everyone to Inkuku (Zulu for chicken), a chair marked by its "exploration and adaptation of an African craft technique."

Inkuku. Designed by Ryan Frank.

Designed by South African-born Ryan Frank (now working and living in London), Inkuku is made from recycled aluminum and recyclable plastic bags. The concept reinterprets a chicken ornament-hence its applicability in this week's posts (metaphorical yes, but still apropos). The other reason it's a good fit is that Mr. Frank admits to "creating products...that explore the underbelly of the furniture design industry." Anyone who gets inspired by the underbelly of anything gets my vote of confidence.

Better still, Inkuku makes those annoyingly ubiquitous plastic bags beautiful. You didn't think it was possible, did you? And yet the Inkuku chair translates this seemingly awful material into a modern design-if somewhat fanciful. The shape, however, is rather classic-a circular seat atop one simple spindle of a leg with four solid feet. The basic shape recalls Aldo Ciabatti's Ronde Armchair with its negative spaces beneath the arms and the arched back. The "upholstery" is made from crinkled plastic bags that look like ruffles. (For anyone who watches Project Runway, it sort of looks like Emily's black dress with the multi-colored ruffles, for which she was recently voted off). The effect is one of celebration, as the material recalls those plastic leis given out during Hawaiian parties not taking place in Hawaii.

Ryan Frank is a magician, turning garbage into treasure, spinning straw into gold, metamorphosizing plastic bags into modern furniture. His interpretation of the chicken retains the strange movement of the original, as well as the splendid colors.

Compare Ryan Frank’s work with another innovative use for the pernicious plastic bag, the Winter light fixture.