By design - SEUNGJIN YANG

The South Korean designer Seungjin Yang is candid about the furniture he creates and whether the pieces in his Blowing Series of chairs, benches and stools are actually comfortable. These glossy products – now his trademark objects – are made from balloons crafted into solid sculptural, functional forms. “People who have actually sat in a [Blowing Series] chair say that it is more comfortable than they thought,” he says. “However, my work is not made for the sake of convenience.”

Seungjin began making the balloon series in 2013, the year he graduated in art and design from Hongik University in Seoul. “It was well-received so I continued developing it,” he says, emphasizing in an online text that “a process of producing balanced structures and rigid textures” underpins the manufacture of the quirky chairs and benches.

The furniture may look fragile but the pieces are sturdy because, as Seungjin explains, epoxy resin is poured over them – a process that is repeated eight times. “The works are also structurally strong because the pieces are cylindrical,” he elaborates. Variations on the balloon motif can be seen in the 2016 series Chairs for Cultural Factory osan, which incorporates other materials, such as wood.

Is Seungjin concerned about catering to a niche audience or conversely having mass appeal? “I don't work for anyone in particular,” he replies. “I just do what I want to do, and I don't think about how it is evaluated and who does it.”

Seungjin kept working as the pandemic unfolded and things “didn’t change much” for him other than practicalities such as the rising cost of international shipping. Now, looking ahead, finding time to develop original concepts is the priority.

“New work is constantly being conceived, but I don't have enough time to express it right now,” he says. The quest goes on nonetheless for the perfect balloon piece. The plan, according to his website, is to extend the Blowing Series by using “more playful colors and experimental forms.”

Seungjin’s work can be found at The Future Perfect.