Sign in with Google
Sign in with email
Carpenters Workshop Gallery presents Stone & Steel, a new collection of 10 works by South Korean artist Wonmin Park, as part of London Design Festival. The collection presents a continuation from his previous series Plain Cuts, and is shaped by the artist’s use of volcanic rock and industrial sheets of steel.
The volcanic rocks that form the bases of the tables in Stone & Steel are mined in Japan, and when cut open reveal dark, iron-rich interiors in contrast to their ochre, brown shells. This rust-like characteristic is the result of air and moisture penetrating deep fissures in the earth’s crust and oxidising the iron content of the stones, giving each rock a natural patina. The stone centres of each table are highly polished to achieve a jet-black, marmoreal finish, accentuating the contrast with the rough, grainy surface of the stone’s exterior. Wonmin is intrigued that every stone is unique, the product of a geological accident millennia ago. He brings this internal history to his work, as evidence of forms and processes greater than himself and his art.
The hand-shaped steel table tops that are fitted with engineering levels or precision around each stone centre add dimension to the flat-cut line of the stone and extend it further into space to create volume and balance. Wonmin’s practice is rooted in Korean and Pan-Asian aesthetics, which he defines as embracing irregularity and a naturalistic simplicity. Korean Minimalism , which developed in the 1970s, married human skill with the many imperfections seen in nature, and Wonmin continues this symbiosis in his work. Wonmin does not like to work within too many rules, nor overthink his practice. He is led by the shape of each stone, which in turn shapes the steel components. Fulfilling the potential of his materials is his main focus, keeping the design as effective yet minimal as possible.
About Wonmin Park
“In my designs, I want objects to speak for themselves. To be beautiful, attractive and engage with their surroundings. My work embraces simplicity, purity, and subtlety. People who experience my designs have the space to explore their own sensations and emotions,” says Wonmin. Born in 1982 in Seoul, South Korea, heis a graduate of the Design Academy Eindhoven. After working with a series of prestigious design companies in The Netherlands, he established Studio Wonmin Park, based in Eindhoven, in 2011. He has also established a production facility in Rotterdam and a creative studio in Paris. Even though his practice is very physical, his inspiration comes from modern and contemporary art as well as the natural world. His work is minimalist, each piece a succinct artistic statement.
What do you think?