The Subtraction Chair

  • Company/Firm
    One Hundred Ninth
  • Designer
    Graham Kelman
  • Lead Designer(Other)
    Kevin Chen, Katie McCormick, Raunak Deshmukh, Kelsey Owens, Grace Choi, Colin Lew, Michael Levengood
  • Other Credit
    Founder: Matt Tarosky, Director: Lindsay Weiss, Fab: Max Greenberg, Graphic Design: Caroline Shank
  • Photo Credit
    Dan King
  • Location
    Philadelphia, PA + Brooklyn, NY
  • Project Date
    2023
  • Project Link
    view
  • Web URL
    view

The Subtraction Chair is a self-commissioned product, driven by the desire to create a bold gesture that celebrates contrast and contradiction in order to encourage curiosity and contemplation. It’s designed for all people because its foundational themes are fundamentally universal and uniquely human: the use of digital design methodologies and meticulous craftsmanship, strength revealed in absence or void and achieving an ideal ergonomic balance.

The idea for the chair is derived from a fascination with contradictory concepts and elements - simplicity and complexity, organic and geometric, gestural and precise.

The Subtraction Chair embodies elegance, innovation, and purpose- a future classic. Crafted from sustainably sourced White Oak, its solid form is complemented by an intricately slender steel inlay. The concept was approached as an art installation - blurring the lines between sculpture and seating - designed to encourage contemplation and inspiration. As a poetic gesture, the Subtraction Chair emphasizes the necessity of embracing beauty and thoughtfulness in everyday objects.

Bio
At One Hundred Ninth, we specialize in imagining and building sculptural objects and installations. We collaborate with artists and designers to develop and launch new products, and we partner with brands and businesses to design and build projects for retail, office, and hospitality. We design, manufacture, and manage from our base in Philadelphia, PA, where our creative and production teams collaborate seamlessly under a single roof. This integrated approach enables us to deliver high-quality design solutions rapidly.