The Woman’s Chair makes sitting intentionally uncomfortable
Designer Shushana Khachatrian introduces The Woman’s Chair, a 3-legged polished stainless steel seat designed to spark social commentary.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Created by Shushana Khachatrian, founder and design director of Studio Shoo
- Polished stainless steel structure with three legs restricting movement
- Integrated mirrored backrest offers shifting and fragmented reflections
- Handmade satin cushion with delicate frills by Hrachuhi Martirosyan
Armenian designer Shushana Khachatrian, founder and design director of STUDIO SHOO, has deliberately stripped away comfort from an object typically defined by it with The Woman’s Chair. Conceived as a reflection on the relationship between women and contemporary social structures, the piece uses posture, instability, and restricted movement to explore cultural expectations, visibility, and control. At first glance, its polished stainless steel body appears precise and minimal, but sitting down reveals a far less accommodating agenda.
A key feature is the integrated mirror within the backrest, which complicates the dynamic between sitter and object. Rather than returning a stable portrait, the reflective surface offers a partial image that shifts or disappears as the body moves. Khachatrian connects this fleeting reflection to changing perceptions of identity and visibility, examining how self-image can depend on position, perspective, and external expectations.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Merging furniture design with critical social commentary is a hallmark of contemporary design art, existing at the intersection of sculpture and functional utility. By intentionally eliminating physical comfort, this chair acts as a physical metaphor that forces users to confront bodily constraints, mirroring the subtle societal pressures and behavioral expectations often imposed on women.
Material contrasts further reinforce this concept. The hard, reflective stainless steel is paired with an optional satin cushion edged with delicate frills, introducing softness and ornament into an otherwise severe framework. Handmade by Armenian fashion designer Hrachuhi Martirosyan, the textile element establishes intentional tension between strength and vulnerability, as well as rigidity and decoration, though the satin addition does not transform the seat into a place for a lazy afternoon.
The stainless steel structure was manufactured by Armenian furniture producer Canate, translating Khachatrian’s unconventional geometry into a functional object. Chosen for its durability, strength, and corrosion resistance, the material lends the chair an uncompromising visual character: reflective enough to implicate its surroundings, yet physically hard enough to keep the sitter constantly aware of the object beneath them.
"Operating somewhere between furniture and sculpture, The Woman’s Chair uses the familiar typology of seating to ask less familiar questions."
Shushana Khachatrian
Utilizing three legs to introduce a subtle sense of instability, The Woman’s Chair asks who is permitted to feel comfortable, how bodies are expected to behave, and how much space they are encouraged to occupy. Rather than illustrating those pressures directly, Khachatrian embeds them into the mechanics of the chair itself. It can be sat on technically, but whether it wants you to relax is another matter entirely.
Source: designboom
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