handcrafted from a fallen tree, sati rocking chair reflects on life, death and impermanence

Cheer Manlekha’s Sati is made from a fallen street tree in Brent

Sati, designed by Cheer Manlekha as part of the MA Industrial Design program at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, is a handcrafted wooden chair made from a fallen street tree in Brent, London. The project explores themes of presence, impermanence, and material life cycles through an everyday object.

The term ‘Sati’ derives from the Thai language, meaning ‘to remember,’ ‘to recollect,’ or ‘to bear in mind.’ The design draws influence from Zen meditation practices, particularly the concept of ‘just sitting’ without specific objective or outcome. ‘The project, beyond a chair, is also a profoundly personal exploration on existentialism, fears of death, and the process of letting go of things which lie beyond our control. It is a record of a fragment of time spent here in this life and a pursuit to come to terms with death through a design object carefully hand-crafted by natural elements as a contemplative means to reflect the smallness of human existence within the vast, continuous cycle of life in the simplest form of a mundane everyday object; a chair,’ shares the designer.

all images courtesy of Cheer Manlekha

a flat back and curved front base characterize Sati timber chair

Structurally, Sati is a non-traditional rocking chair characterized by its flat back and a curved front base. This configuration requires the user to engage their legs for balance and stabilization, encouraging physical awareness and grounding in the present moment, leaving all unnecessary scattered thoughts behind. The chair’s deliberate unevenness invites active participation from the user, fostering bodily engagement rather than passive sitting.

Materiality plays an important role in the project narrative by designer Cheer Manlekha. By using timber from a naturally fallen tree in Brent, London, the design foregrounds memories of the time spent on Earth and a message that something once dead can find a new purpose again. Like any living being, the chair ages over time, gaining scars and marks that reflect a life lived, lessons learned, and the beauty of being alive. This approach reflects an acceptance of natural aging processes, both in materials and in human life, normalizing death as an inseparable part of life that all beings must one day come to face with. The design process of ‘Sati’ reflects an interest in existential themes, with the chair acting as a tool for contemplation and reflection on temporality. Its form and balance encourage moments of stillness, aligning with the broader objective of fostering awareness of one’s body and surroundings. 

the chair draws influence from Zen meditation practices, encouraging moments of stillness and awareness

the form of the armrest and the backrest mimics the organic sprouting of plants from the ground

the structural configuration encourages users to engage their legs for balance and stability

raw wood parts as a reminder that the chair is crafted from a living thing that once stood, grew, and fell

visible imperfections reflect the chair’s origins and its previous life as part of an urban tree

the project uses a single everyday object—the chair, to frame themes of temporality and letting go

Sati acts as both a functional object and a contemplative tool for spatial and existential reflection

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crafted from a local tree, Sati maintains a connection to its urban origin in Brent, London

 

 

 

project info:

name: Sati: A Chair of Existentialism and Fears of Death
designer: Cheer Manlekha

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom