08/13/2026
Sapience Chair, Iteration V
The fifth iteration of the Sapience Chair introduces a new tension between brilliance and intensity. Its geometric body is finished in hand-applied silver leaf, transforming the chair’s faceted planes into a reflective sculptural surface that shifts with the surrounding light. Against the cool luminosity of the silver, neon red premium upholstery on the seat and back creates a sharp, almost electric contrast.
Originally designed by Nersi Nasseri, SENTIENT’s co-founder and Creative Director, the Sapience Chair is built around a distinctive architectural language: diamond-shaped vertical supports, a horizontal seat, and an angled backrest composed as a functional sculpture. Over successive iterations, that recognizable silhouette has become a framework for exploring new materials, finishes, color, and the relationship between positive and negative space.
Nasseri’s work has long occupied the space between furniture and sculpture. A Pratt Institute graduate with a Master of Industrial Design, his three-decade career includes collaborations with Porsche, Cartier, Fendi, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Movado. As Creative Director of SENTIENT and curator of SENTIENT Gallery, he continues to develop pieces that challenge conventional distinctions between an object made to be used and one made to be contemplated.
Iteration V pushes that idea further. Silver leaf gives the Sapience Chair an almost metallic, shifting presence, while the saturated neon red upholstery brings warmth, energy, and provocation to its precise geometry. Handcrafted in SENTIENT’s Brooklyn workshop, it is a new expression of a familiar form and another chapter in the continuing evolution of Sapience.
