Pheromones and aftershave are impregnated into these leather seats by Gigi Barker to evoke the sense of sitting on human flesh (+ slideshow).

For her A Body of Skin project, Gigi Barker of Studio 9191 wanted to explore people's reactions towards furniture that is strangely familiar to the sight, smell and touch.

She used moulded silicone as a base to create a series of squidgy seats designed to mimic rolls of fat.

"I wanted to create shapes that were not instantly recognisable as chairs," Barker said. "That made the viewers question how to interact with the shapes and to form their own conclusions."

Leather, the closest material Barker could find to actual skin, is stretched and moulded over the bulbous forms with the suede section facing side up.

"I hand make all the pieces myself, creating the initial sculptural shapes in the studio and then moulding the leather in my bath tub at home," said Barker.

The silicone is mixed with human pheromones and aftershave so the seats have the smell of skin as well as the appearance.

The collection includes a voluptuous seat formed from two rounded elements and a plump footstool. Both come in different shades to imitate various skin colours.

When experimenting with the shapes, Barker made small clay models before translating them into the larger objects.

Quite a few designers have used human flesh and body shapes as visual references for furniture.

Charlotte Kingsnorth created a collection of fat chairs and a sofa inspired by obesity, while Nanna Kill designed a chair that appears to be dressed in a fat suit.