This work is based on a widely used form of stainless steel stools in Vietnam, consisting of a circular seat and four slightly curved legs. They are used in both private and public settings and form an integral part of everyday urban life.

Mother-of-pearl inlay has been applied to the seats of the stools on display — a labour-intensive technique deeply rooted in Vietnamese craft traditions. Shaped by colonial exchange, it was often used for furniture intended for European markets. By applying it to a contemporary, locally embedded object, its context is shifted.

While the industrial product stands for efficiency and standardisation, the inlay points to time, care, and individuality. The project brings these two poles into relation and understands freedom not as an escape from existing structures, but as their transformation.

Amalgame Studio, founded in 2024 by Emmie Massias and Marine Col, explores material cultures through furniture and objects, operating between local craftsmanship and industrial production.