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Korean designers at London Design Festival

The London Design Festival is coming up in the middle of September, with 100% Design at Olympia in West London and Tent London in the East End. I’ve only managed to identify one Korean designer at Olympia (and I hope someone in the UK decides to stock their brassware). But there are plenty at Tent London at the Truman Brewery.

1. Tent London

Old Truman Brewery | 26 Hanbury Street | London E1 6QR | www.londondesignfair.co.uk
20–23rd September 2018

1.1 Seoul Design Festival

Hall H10, Stand 10.4

Seoul Design Festival logoAn enchanting display, this year’s Korean pavilion will exhibit products from 8 Korean designers and brands. Supported by Seoul Design Festival, as part of its global promotion, the pavilion aims to champion unique and inspiring Korean designers. The quintessential design event in Korea, the annual Seoul Design Festival has supported and promoted over 200 young Korean designers and brands over the past 17 years.

Jiyoun Kim

Jiyoun Kim
Graduating from Hongik University, Seoul, in 2009, Jiyoun Kim worked with the North American branch of Pantech Mobile Device Design for five years—during this time he established Jiyoun Kim Studio. Today, Kim works across multiple disciplines, including product design, branding, living products and art. The Dokkaebi Stool (pictured) was created by Kim as part of a larger art installation in the Hangang Art Park, by the Han River in Seoul.

Bmix Studio

Bmix Studio
Founded in 2012, Bmix Studio design and manufacture simple products that meet simple needs. Sleek and pared back in design the studio produces a mixture of small accessories such as clocks, vases and lighting all expertly designed to provide practical solutions to our everyday needs.

Studio Pesi

Studio Pesi
Founded by Seoul-based designers Byounghwi Jeon and Seungjoon Song, Studio PESI seeks to find new possibilities in design, by reinterpreting objects without losing their essential elements. PESI is an acronym for ‘Possibility, Essential, Standpoint, Interpretation’: the studio approaches design in a manner that is experiential, lively and cheerful.

OBJT

OBJT by Geomin Lee
Founded by Geonmin Lee, a fine art graduate from Hongik University in Seoul, Studio OBJT employs techniques from sculpture design to create small-scale functional objects such as Slide (pictured).

Other exhibitors for Seoul Design Festival are:

1.2 Other Korean designers

Independent of the Seoul Design Festival stand, the following Korean designers will be exhibiting at Tent London:

2. 100% Design London

Olympia London | Hammersmith Road | London W14 8UX | www.100percentdesign.co.uk
19-22 September 2018

2.1 UGIU

Stand: EB42, EB25

Ugiu banner and logo

The company name ugiu (鍮器癒) derives from combination of words Yugi (Korean Bronzeware) and Yu (to heal). Our ancestors not only applied Yugi to simple dishware but went beyond the meaning by using it as a means to heal and our goal is to pass down their wisdom.

The border between countries and cultures are fading. Ugiu will introduce Korea’s traditional bronzeware to Europe through 100% Design.

  • Seoullo Teaspoon + Teafork: A pair of tea-spoon and fork designed for an elevated road in Seoul called ‘Seoullo 7017’. They are meant to complete each other and encourage people to walk around and spend time with beloved ones. When put together, they form a heart shape.
  • Bamboo Spoon and Chopsticks: The design derives from nodes of the bamboo, in admiration of the bamboo’s bendable characteristic which makes it hard to break. Bamboo symbolizes integrity and rigidness, and it is the only evergreen among the Four Gentlemen (along with plum, orchid, and chrysanthemum).
  • Flower Bowl: Flowers are most beutiful right before they widely open in full bloom. These bowls are designed to turn everything they contain to be flowers.

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