BK21 Plus I-TEC of Kookmin University Graduate School of Techno Design (TED): Hyper Designer Training Project Team (Team leader: Professor Gyeong-ran Choi in the Department of Interior Design) was invited to the special exhibition of the 2014 Milano Salone del Mobile that is entitled as “Sharing Design.” In this exhibition, the participating professors and graduate students of the I-TEC: Hyper Designer Training Project Team exhibited the tray works that combined modern design and craftsmanship having ‘Gyul’ as the theme.

Gyul – Material. Texture
Today, a variety of lifestyle shared with nature is being proposed in the world. Generally, oriental culture has entertained the life with affluent nature; thus, for those who have lived under ecological culture, such change is not a challenge and rather, it is said to be more natural.
In this exhibition, our assignment was to emphasize the limited materials based on craftsmanship while creating a practical object for modern lifestyle in consideration of a new technique. Thus, we intended to discover the oriental aesthetical sense for ‘Gyul,’ wood grain as well as a natural material. ‘Gyul’ is a pure Korean proper noun that indicates state or pattern in the base of a tree, rock, and skin that is made by the gathered and layered soft tissues or texture. Also, it is used as a suffix in Korean like ‘Songyul (texture of hand’s skin), Sumgyul (breath), and Maeumgyul (cast of mind)’ to express warm-hearted sentimental impression. Based on such interpretations on ‘Gyul’ by the artists, trays which serve various purposes and applications in human life were taken as a formative object. Initially, these trays are said to be the converged outcome that harmonizes natural colors and texture of a tree as well as the interest possessed in the design sense, idea, and craftsmanship of an artist. Moreover, it is considered to be a possibility regarding the question, ‘how does one establish the special identity of a traditional craft that possess oriental sentiment along with its technique and how does one use it in the modern lifestyle?’
TEC: 2. Hyper Designer Training Project Team, Kookmin University
(Ministry of Education, BK21 Plus, http://itec.kookmin.ac.kr)