From craft to industrial design: Korea, a country of multi-faceted design
Friday 17 January —
13:00
- 13:45
The Talks — Hall 7
Description
Korean design is now an instantly familiar, and distinct worldwide phenomenon, showcased through films, drama series and music videos. Powered by this high tide of cultural production, young and ambitious Korean designers are breaking new ground by audaciously blending traditional methods with modern innovations. Whether resuscitating local artisanal heritage, or resourcefully rethinking production ecosystems, the conventions of Korean design are being deftly, yet defiantly challenged. Join this discussion on the now and future of Korean design with Hwachan Lee and Yoomin Maeng, cofounders of the industrial design duo KUO DUO, Youngshin Jang, creative director at Hyundai Department Store, artist Dahye Jeong and Miriam Ro, journalist.
Participants
Jeong DahyeDesigner & Weaver
Lee Hwachan & Maeng YoominCofounders - KUO DUO
Youngshin JangCreative Director - Hyundai Department Store
Miriam Seong Ja RoJournalist
Jeong Dahye
Designer & Weaver
Dahye Jeong after winning the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize in 2022 has revived traditions in horsehair. Influenced by the Korean men’s millinery tradition of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) Dahye has developed her own language with horsehair. Her weaves have expanded beyond imaginable spectrums creating one-off sculptural objects and relief wall pieces. Dahye has always emphasized the importance of time, as it is the main source of cultivating her skills. The winning piece <Time of Sincerity> gained global attention in 2022 and through her solo show in 2023, Dahye’s creative skills have been highly praised. Her main challenge has been to create three-dimensional objects with loose horsehair. She continues to research and study different ways in which the material has been used in different cultures. The repetitive nature of weaving is meditative, and, in the process, she examines her self-being. Her focus is on her mindset, how she addresses each day. She believes that attitude is everything and she strives to be a better person. Currently, she is voicing her sensitive nature, attempting new ways of weaving, to create original shapes. Much of her time is spent in museums looking at ancient antiquities. She is inspired by many of the Korean ceramic shapes. Based on this, Dahye has created a new series of work that goes beyond what we have seen until now. The focus is on details from surface pattern to design, intricate weaves, and color. Her skills are advancing and developing constantly.
Lee Hwachan & Maeng Yoomin
Cofounders - KUO DUO
KUO DUO is a Seoul based creative studio for three-dimensional design founded in 2021 by Hwachan Lee and Yoomin Maeng, who met while studying Industrial Design at Hong-ik University in Seoul. The studio designs and develops product, furniture and space along with creative direction by the designers with international experience in studios like Cecilie Manz Studio, Form Us With Love, Shigeki Fujishiro Design and SWNA. They explore design boundaries, balancing innovative material use and production techniques with functionality and simplicity. Their work spans industrial design, limited editions, and space installations, aiming to create their own design typologies and enduring products. KUO DUO explore les limites du design en équilibrant l’utilisation innovante des matériaux et des techniques de production avec fonctionnalité et simplicité. Leur travail s'étend du design industriel aux éditions limitées et aux installations spatiales, avec l'ambition de créer leurs propres typologies de design et des objets durables.
Youngshin Jang
Creative Director - Hyundai Department Store
Young Shin, Jang is a Korean creative director and strategist, born in South Korea. She completed her undergraduate studies in Literature and Art History at Ewha Womans University and earned an MFA in Photography and Related Media Arts from School of Visual Arts in New York. Young Shin has exhibited her work in both and group exhibitions in Korea and New York. She has also taught at institutions such as Keimyung University and Konkuk University in Korea. Form 2013 to 2019, she served as the Design Team Leader and Creative Director at Hyundai Department Store Group. Currently Young Shin is focused on digital strategy and creative strategy for e-commerce platform at Hyundai Department Store.
Miriam Seong Ja Ro
Journalist
KUO DUO is a Seoul based creative studio for three-dimensional design founded in 2021 by Hwachan Lee and Yoomin Maeng, who met while studying Industrial Design at Hong-ik University in Seoul. The studio designs and develops product, furniture and space along with creative direction by the designers with international experience in studios like Cecilie Manz Studio, Form Us With Love, Shigeki Fujishiro Design and SWNA. They explore design boundaries, balancing innovative material use and production techniques with functionality and simplicity. Their work spans industrial design, limited editions, and space installations, aiming to create their own design typologies and enduring products.