L-R: Wonmin Park with his former studio assistants Philipp Kolmann and Johan Viladrich. The studio is currently busy working on a range of new projects including collaborations with several manufacturers and also has new exhibitions in the pipeline.
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Designer stories: Wonmin Park
A closer look at the making of the poetic, ethereal Haze Collection and the man behind it all
May 23 2014
Wonmin Park's Haze Series is one of the stars of our 25+ exhibition. Here is a closer look at the making of these poetic, ethereal objects and the man behind it all
To illustrate his design process Wonmin has kindly shared with us some development sketches and process images from the creation of the Haze Series which can all be seen below:
The Haze Series includes a series of tables and chairs all crafted using mold making resin techniques.
Seoul born Wonmin Park graduated from the Man and Wellbeing Department at Design Academy Eindhoven in 2011 and set up his own studio straight away. Park describes his work as embracing "simplicity, purity and subtlety" adding that "People who experience my design have the space to explore their own sensations and emotions".
Clockwise from top left: 1. Study showing models of the Haze Series. 2. Samples showing experimentation with degrees of resin consistency, opacity and colour. 3. Development sketch for the Round Table with Two Legs designed in 2013.
As part of our 25th anniversary celebrations we have brought a selection of pieces from Park's Haze Series to the UK for the first time. We first saw these ethereal objects at Rossana Orlandi in 2013 and have followed his development closely since then. The Haze Series was his first project after graduating from DAE and Park credits the projects subsequent success with giving him the freedom and means to establish his own independent studio.
Behind the scenes: the making of the Miami Shelf, each piece is painstakingly aligned and calibrated. The chromatic scheme is inspired by patterns found in the city of Miami.
When asked about the creative process that drives his work, he told us "I always start designing with a certain purpose, and then develop this within my mind using my imagination into a concept. Afterwards I visualize the concept by sketching, drawing and modeling in order to materialize my thoughts and imagination. During this process I always try to discover the right materials and techniques that capture the right form, feeling and emotion I want to express. By experimentation I am able to understand the properties of the material I am working with."
Clockwise from top left: 1. Work in progress: different layers of resin are cast in increasing levels of complexity - each leaving space to be filled with new layers to create the blocks of colour within the forms and build the piece up into a whole. 2. The Haze Chair by Wonmin Park. 3. Development sketch for the Haze Chair, showing it's clear geometric angles, these are created not by slotting together single planes but by building up a single piece through multiple castings.
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