Korea: a nation increasingly capturing the world’s attention. K-pop, major biennales, the recent Nobel Prize in Literature, and Cannes’ Palme d’Or narrate an extraordinary cultural moment. In perfect harmony with this creative surge, the Rising Talents Awards at Maison&Objet confirm Korea’s leading role in redefining the boundaries between art and design. Showcasing six young Korean designers, each under 35, they embody the fusion between tradition and innovation, creating works that merge artisanal heritage with modern influences.
Dahye Jeong
Crescent Moon by SOLUNA, design Dahye Jeong
Dahye Jeong, 34, from Jeju, crafts three-dimensional forms using horsehair, inspired by Korean ceramics and ancient antiques. Her work transforms simple, traditional weaving into intricate art. She speaks of how the time-intensive process of selecting and weaving each strand of horsehair by hand provides comfort, even when progress is slow. This thoughtful approach lends her work a unique power and light, capturing the essence of patience and tradition.
Vino Chair, design Kuo Duo
Hwachan Lee e Yoomin Maeng
Founded by Hwachan Lee and Yoomin Maeng in Seoul, Kuo Duo experiments with materials like recycled plastics and wood, focusing on stretching the “limits of design.” Their studio’s versatility extends to space design and consulting, while producing limited-edition works. They see value in pushing boundaries, allowing materials to surprise and inspire novel applications that transition from unique pieces to potential serial production.
Minjae Kim
Shaped Fiberglass Chair II, design Minjae Kim
Minjae Kim, a Korean artist in New York, uses his architecture background to create furniture that defies traditional design scales and techniques. Through experimenting with quilted fiberglass, he achieves large volumes skillfully, embracing an irrational side of design that evokes deep emotion. Kim’s process involves subtractive material exploration, contrasting sharply with his architectural training and highlighting the undefined beauty of his creations.
Huyunseog Oh e Sangmyeong Yoo
Huyunseog Oh and Sangmyeong Yoo, based in Seoul, draw inspiration from industrial construction materials to create new design languages. Their work transforms stainless steel and aluminum into handcrafted art, blending rustic aesthetics with industrial functionality. Their focus on sustainability breathes new life into discarded materials, transforming them into contemporary design pieces that balance raw industrial beauty with artistic vision.
Proportions of Stone series, design Sisan Lee
Sisan Lee
At 29, Sisan Lee from Seoul designs sculptural furniture and lighting that harmonize raw stones and industrial steel in intriguing juxtapositions. Inspired by contradictions, Lee seeks balance where extremes meet, finding harmony in opposing materials like stone and metal. His work highlights the complementary energy between these materials, reflecting both conflict and unity in design while embracing the natural beauty of unprocessed stones.
WooJay Lee
Sun, Moon, and Five Buildings, design WooJay Lee
Korean-New Zealander WooJay Lee reimagines mundane overlooked elements—like old paper—into valuable design pieces. By using recycled newspaper to craft solid structures, he challenges notions of waste and imperfection. Lee’s works, often displayed in art galleries, blur the line between art and design. He questions the need for disciplinary divides, suggesting that true value lies in the reinvention and recognition of the mundane.
Bumpy, design In Yeonghye
In Yeonghye
In Yeonghye, influenced by her parents’ professions, blends textile design and furniture creation into immersive art. Her expressive works meld hand-pulled thread sketches with machine-sewn elements, bridging functional design and personal narrative. Though introverted, Yeonghye’s soft textures are a medium through which she shares her story, transforming simple objects like chairs into profound expressions of her artistic journey.
