1. Where were you born and where are you from ?

I’m from South Korea and I was born and raised mostly in Seoul.

2. What is your first memory connected to the art world ?

When I was 8 or 9 years old, I saw the Dragonball by Toriyama Akira. I think that was my first memory if you consider comic book as an art (because I do)

3. Have you always worked in the art/design field ?

Yes. I studied metal craft at Kookmin university and contextual design at Design academy Eindhoven. After I graduated from contextual design, I went to the US to work as an in-house designer for a home decor company.That was my experience of a commercial design company.

4. What led you to the design creation ?

After 4 and a half years of work as an in-house designer in the US, I realized that I wanted to create something that could express my thoughts more straightforwardly and be myself. So I quit my job and started my own design studio in Seoul.

5. How would you describe your creative process and it influences ?

In most instances, I think of the concept first. Then I start on the research of a specific subject. Based on the research, I start to draw or make models right away which is my favorite process of my design. Because during this process I don’t have to worry about any technical issues or limits of material and so on. Totally free of mind!

Then come back to reality, find the smart way to solve the obstacles and compromise the issues to create my design.

6. Could you describe a typical day of your work ?

First thing in the morning, I take my daughter Stella to the kindergarten and then I walk along the riverside for an hour. Walking in the morning helps me to organize my thoughts and schedules for the day. Then I take the subway to get to my studio in Seoul near Dongdaemun area.

Then quite typical studio life. Drink coffee, turn on the music or podcast and start idea sketching and make some models for my next project.

7. Why did you choose the specific materials you work with ?

For the Paw furniture series, I used aluminum sand casting. Which is well used material and technique in industry such as car engine, wheels and machine parts and so on. My intention of Surreal looking Paw series to be not too cartoonish, so I used metal to give a physical weight to balance the design.

8. What are the technical particularities of your creations ?

One of the limitations of sand casting technique is that you can’t get the perfect surface due to sand mold. Instead of making a clean surface, I emphasize the rough texture even more to create a tactile sculptural look.

9. What advices could you give to beginning artists who would like to create sculptural design works ?

Try to find your ego and identity and develop the concept.

10. If your works had to belong to a design movement, in which one would you define it ?

couldn’t define one… Functional sculpture, contemporary craft, subculture art

11. What designers have influenced you ?

Charles and Ray eames, Eero Aarnio, Ettore Sottsass, Frank Gehry

12. What contemporary designers do you appreciate ?

Max Lamb, Jayme Hayon, Faye Toogood, Hella Jongerius, Marten Baas

13. What contemporary artists (in any kind of art) have you been inspired by ?

Max Lamb, Jayme Hayon, Faye Toogood, Hella Jongerius, Marten Baas

14. If you had to summarize your creations in one word or sentence, what would it be ?

Humorous

15. Is there anything you would like to add ?

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Proust Questionnaire with very short answers (one or a few words) :
(The Proust Questionnaire is a set of questions answered by the French writer Marcel Proust. Other historical figures who have answered confession albums are Oscar Wilde, Karl Marx, Arthur Conan Doyle, Stéphane Mallarmé, Paul Cézanne…)