Inspired by the colors of sunset and sunrise, South Korean furniture designer Saerom Yoon creates pieces that blur the line between functional design and fine art, evoking the delicate touch of a watercolor brush.
Inspired by the colors of sunset and sunrise, Yoon’s creations blur the line between functional design and fine art, evoking the delicate touch of a watercolor brush.
Yoon’s work is a testament to nature’s textures—which he describes as “interplay of clouds, calm water, rippling waves, frozen ice and the bark of trees.” Each piece invites touch, sight, and contemplation, transforming everyday furniture into a canvas for environmental reflection.
As part of our Korean Design in Focus series, we talked to Yoon about his creative process, exploring how he translates the fluidity of natural phenomena into solid, functional forms. We’ll discover how Yoon translates ephemeral moments like sunsets into tangible furniture. During our conversation, we talk about the Crystal Series, his notable Segment Chair, the challenges of his unique aesthetic, the influences shaping his work, and more.
Korea’s design history is not long. It is related to Korea’s economic development. In 1950, Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world after the Korean War, but achieved rapid economic growth at the end of the 20th century.
In this process of economic growth, design was not important compared to technology, so design had not developed. It grew by copying many successful designs from around the world.
Ironically, I think this process became the root of today’s Korean design. I think Korean design is defined by a very diverse and complex design that is not something traditional, and it’s not a geographical or environmental influence. It feels familiar, but fresh. And it’s not completely new, but not boring.
It’s like K-pop – a mix of all kinds of genres: pop, hip-hop, electronic, etc.
So I think Korean design, which is constantly changing because it doesn’t stay within a traditional frame, is attracting attention in the modern society that consumes culture quickly.
“The memory of sitting on the beach with my family while feeling the cool wind and looking at the sunset until dark is my most precious memory. So I wanted to express this precious memory and feeling with my work.”
When I first started doing this, I thought a lot about what my identity was. I thought if I knew what I was like, I would know what I could express best.
Sunset and sunrise were the answers to what I liked. My oldest childhood memories are the times I spent in the Philippines with my parents.
The memories of playing in the beautiful mountains, the emerald sea, and the small and pretty island remain in my memory, one by one. Among them, I liked the beach at sunset the most.
The memory of sitting on the beach with my family while feeling the cool wind and looking at the sunset until dark is my most precious memory.
So I wanted to express this precious memory and feeling with my work – furniture.
I wanted colors to be shown before the form. I also wanted to express a variety of tones that naturally mix, like the colors found in nature. So I researched and tested a variety of transparent materials. I found that the dyeing techniques used in textiles could be applied to acrylics. I was able to do what I wanted to express through this method.
“I wanted colors to be shown before the form. I also wanted to express a variety of tones that naturally mix, like the colors found in nature.”
Since no one had done this before, I didn’t have the technical knowledge to learn or reference. The process of finding the data I needed through the test was the most difficult.
I majored in woodworking and furniture design in college. At the time of making the Segment Chairs, I was completely immersed in woodworking techniques. At the time, I simply wanted to make something that no one could make.
When I was studying in college, the mainstream of the world’s design trends was minimalism. I loved it, but it seemed like if I did it after college, I would forever be one of them, not a leader.
“No one knows if future design history will still include this period in minimalism, or if it will be seen as the beginning of something new.”
No one knows if future design history will still include this period in minimalism, or if it will be seen as the beginning of something new.
If it’s the latter, I think Korean design will be at the center of it, and I want to contribute to that. :)
Images via Saerom Yoon
