FPD
Jinseok Choi
I am a designer from South Korea who reinterprets culture and spatial sensibility through a contemporary lens. My work focuses on everyday posture and human movement. By bringing a fresh perspective to the familiar, I create furniture that is quiet yet clearly present in its form and intention.
MARU
Maru is a contemporary low-level sofa. The word maru refers to the space between rooms in the main building of a traditional Korean house known as a hanok. This project stems from the popular Korean cultural habit of sitting on the floor, thought to have evolved over centuries due to the use of underfloor heating in Korean homes; it was designed to address the discomfort and strain on the legs and hips that can arise when sitting directly on the floor without any support, aiming to provide comfort while reducing stress on the body.
To eliminate the difficulty of sitting down and getting back up from the floor, the armrests have been made wide, allowing users to easily support themselves when lowering or lifting their body. Additionally, the armrests are designed in a box shape, providing storage space for books or similar within, or perhaps a home for a small pet. The cushions are separately crafted, allowing for easy attachment and removal.
Chorong
Chorong, designed in response to a sustainable brief from Magis, is a portable lighting product inspired by traditional Korean aesthetics. Drawing influence from the Cheongsachorong, a traditional Korean lantern that is used as a symbol of welcome and hospitality, Chorong is designed to be both versatile and customisable. It can be hung or carried with ease, and its adjustable light colours allow the user to tailor the ambience to suit the needs of the occasion or environment . Crafted exclusively from paper and bamboo, the design embodies and contemporises the elegance and heritage of East Asian traditions.