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A Proposal of Contemporary Design Based on Korean Traditions through Furniture and jewellery

Partner Programme

17 — 18, 20 — 25 Sept 2022

Craft, Interiors & Furniture, Other

This design is a proposal of contemporary design based on Korean traditions. The chair design was inspired by traditional Korean crafts and William Morris' patterns in the UK to express cultural hybridisation. The bold jewellery with contemporary reinterprets is based on the traditional beauty of moderation of Korea.

This collection is a proposal of contemporary design based on Korean traditions. Also, the collection consists of chair designs and jewellery designs. First, the chair design is as follows: "Kkoch-Galam" is Korean and means "a river with flowers”. The Kkoch-Galam furniture project explores Korean lacquer and shell inlay combined with metal wire to create the most amazing and bold contemporary chairs. You might also call them "butterflies on the river." The inlay investigates the connection between traditional Korean seasonal motifs and William Morris’ floral patterning. The collection follows four distinct seasonal cycles. Beyond craft and industrial design boundaries, this collection shows the importance of new cultural hybridisation. Traditional crafts combine millennia of history with contemporary living. By merging industrial design with deconstructive expressiveness, I attempted to highlight the significance of traditional crafts in contemporary art. The four seasons' representative flowers in the pattern design represented the blossoms falling on the river. The chairs' forms are inspired by the silhouette of a butterfly sitting on a flower with a river, which is conceptually expressed through dismantling and fluid lines. Second, the jewellery design is as follows: I design contemporary jewellery based on Korean traditional culture. The Bamboo bracelet expresses classic beauty by combining Korean white porcelain with a bold design. The central pendant reinterprets the existing jewellery pendant simply and elegantly, inspired by Korean white porcelain. Bamboo is a material that symbolizes the spirit of scholars in Korea, where curves and straight lines meet to create a mysterious atmosphere. The direction and philosophy of the design are as follows. "Maximalist Design" is the symbol theme for my collection, which comprises three keywords. Maximalism is the art of more-is-more; multi-layered patterns, vibrant colours, plenty of accessories and paintings, and a real sense of playfulness and strong movements. Maximalism is colourful, loud, and chaotic. This pandemonium, however, is controlled and thoughtful, contrary to appearances. Colours, materials, textures, and modernism are juxtaposed with traditional features. All of this is complemented by a variety of decorations and accessories. I can explain my Maximalist Design using the terms Emotional Design, Cultural Layers of Humanity, and Hypothetical Forms if I can partition it into three contexts.