‘enameled skin – copper series’ image courtesy of kwangho lee

 

 

 

at this year’s design miami, new york-based johnson trading gallery presented the ‘enameled skin – copper series’ by korean designer kwangho lee, who has sent us images of the making process. for the project, lee, along with a few designer friends traveled around many rural areas of korea. they searched and recorded the culture, food, industries and regional specialties naturally born and developed in the east asian country, exploring the way in which people live. the purpose was to familiarize themselves with the behaviors, habits and scene passed down from ancestors, studying ways in which to approach materials derived from nature.

 

‘enameled skin – copper series’ is the start of a long-term project between lee and his peers. their goal is to try and revive old korean crafts using modern techniques and applications. though typically known for his furniture objects made from a colorful array of knitted telephone and cable wires, lee’s interests in traditional enameling first began during his studies at seoul university. this enameling technique is ‘becoming a forgotten craft,’ says lee. generally it has been applied to small housewares and jewelry, but for this furniture collection, lee poured the enamel onto large pieces of copper furniture, such as stools, tables, cabinets, chairs etc… changing the typical application of this traditional craft.

kwangho lee: enameled skin   copper series lee uses copper plates that measure 120 x 40 cm to develop his pieces image courtesy of kwangho lee

 

 

the process involves lee using copper plates which he sources in korea measuring 120 x 40cm. for each piece he has to carefully sketch out how to use the plates in order to make an object. he then cuts the edges accordingly and welds them together. once the parts are welded, the surface is sanded to aid the chil-bo (traditional korean enamel) to adhere better to the copper surface. he also wipes and cleanses the surface for the same reason. after the chil-bo is applied to the furniture piece, it is put into a kiln where it is cooked at 770-780 degrees celsius for 4 – 5 hours. it is then left in the kiln to cool down for a day. once out of the kiln, unexpected effects are noticed such as the color transformation  of the copper, the oxidized surface, chil-bo effect etc.

 

kwangho lee: enameled skin   copper series carefully measuring and arranging the cut pieces image courtesy of kwangho lee

kwangho lee: enameled skin   copper series detail of the welded edges image courtesy of kwangho lee

kwangho lee: enameled skin   copper series a chair welded together image courtesy of kwangho lee

kwangho lee: enameled skin   copper series sanding the copper in order to allow the chil-bo to adhere to the surface better image courtesy of kwangho lee

kwangho lee: enameled skin   copper series cleansing and wiping the surface is done for the same reason as sanding image courtesy of kwangho lee

kwangho lee: enameled skin   copper series blue chil-bo being applied to a copper surface image courtesy of kwangho lee

kwangho lee: enameled skin   copper series enamel application almost complete image courtesy of kwangho lee

kwangho lee: enameled skin   copper series the finished chair out of the kiln image courtesy of kwangho lee

 

kwangho lee: enameled skin   copper series a desk that has been fired in the kiln image courtesy of kwangho lee

 

kwangho lee: enameled skin   copper series observing the effects of the heat on the copper surface image courtesy of kwangho lee

 

kwangho lee: enameled skin   copper series piece out of the kiln image courtesy of kwangho lee

kwangho lee: enameled skin   copper series ready to come out of the kiln… image courtesy of kwangho lee

kwangho lee: enameled skin   copper series a cabinet ready for the kiln image courtesy of kwangho lee

kwangho lee: enameled skin   copper series the cabinet heading into the kiln image courtesy of kwangho lee

kwangho lee: enameled skin   copper series image courtesy of kwangho lee

 

kwangho lee: enameled skin   copper series the work being cooked in the kiln at 770 – 780 degrees celsius for 4 – 5 hours image courtesy of kwangho lee

kwangho lee: enameled skin   copper series the different effects of the heat create a green / white result on this table image courtesy of kwangho lee

kwangho lee: enameled skin   copper series a marble effect image courtesy of kwangho lee

kwangho lee: enameled skin   copper series detail image courtesy of kwangho lee

kwangho lee: enameled skin   copper series enameled boxes image courtesy of kwangho lee

kwangho lee: enameled skin   copper series enameled green stool image courtesy of kwangho lee

kwangho lee: enameled skin   copper series detail of the copper surface when not enameled and exposed to the heat image courtesy of kwangho lee

kwangho lee: enameled skin   copper series a look at the oxidized surface of the copper. the metal changes color as it flakes off a layer. lee leaves it as it is, not peeling it off, but rather slightly wiping it to keep it clean. image courtesy of kwangho lee

kwangho lee: enameled skin   copper series detail image courtesy of kwangho lee

kwangho lee: enameled skin   copper series ‘enameled skin – copper series’ on show at design miami 2010 image courtesy of johnson trading gallery

kwangho lee: enameled skin   copper series installation view of kwangho lee’s work at design miami 2010 image courtesy of johnson trading gallery

kwangho lee: enameled skin   copper series enameled bookshelf and cabinet image courtesy of johnson trading gallery

kwangho lee: enameled skin   copper series the johnson trading gallery presentation image courtesy of johnson trading gallery