jungmo seungyeon celebrates korean lacquer in stool and paperweight

founded in 2014 and based in seoul, studio jungmo seungyeon is known for experimenting with materials and production techniques, and applying them to everyday products. because of this, they were selected by the KTCC (korean traditional culture center) in a competition that asked for an object designed using the country’s traditional materials.

‘yongmaru stool’ coated in korean lacquer

while researching the traditional materials, jungmo seungyeon met with namgwon lyu, a korean lacquer craftsman. he invited the studio to his workshop in namwong, where an interest in the color and gloss of the lacquerware arose. after this enlightening visit, the project was devised: to produce a stool and a paperweight, both coated with the classic varnish that differentiates from the other finishing materials because of the attention to the glossiness of the lacquer.

the lacquer adds shimmering characteristics to the seating object 

‘yongmaru’ is a stool coated with the traditional korean lacquer in such a way that it glows when a light shines on it. this effect creates a subtle and magnificent luminescence. on the other hand, ‘ore’, a small paperweight has been shaped by hand for in order to achieve a surface that reflects the light.

the red lacquer makes the stool glow

hand-made in korea, ‘ore’ is a small paperweight

the lacquered surface reflects the light

modeling, 3D printing, aluminum casting

sketch ‘ore’ paperweight

the various color of the paperweight

 
the gloss of the lacquerware

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.