Seven collectible pieces from Design Miami Seoul that reimagine traditional Korean crafts

Chairs made of wood lacquer and a lighting installation informed by paper-twining were among the highlights of the In Situ exhibition during Design Miami Seoul.

Taking place from 31 August to 6 September, this year's Design Miami Seoul was held at Design Lab within the Zaha Hadid-designed Dongdaemun Design Plaza.

Its In Situ exhibition spotlighted Korean design from both emerging and established studios, spanning lighting, furniture, ceramics, and sculptural design.

Here Dezeen selects seven of the most interesting designs from In Situ:

Biiit collection by Mano Design Studio

This brass structure was designed to be a contemporary reinterpretation of traditional Korean candlesticks, with paper made from raw mulberry bark  stitched around the frame.

Seoul-based Mano Design Studio was founded by Bo Ah Kim in 2016, who works at the intersection of traditional Korean craft and contemporary design.

"The Biiit collection seeks to dissolve the hierarchy between maker and material in an era of uniform mass replication," said Kim.

"Through a relational resonance built on mutual engagement, it aims to restore design's inherent, tactile 'thingness'."

Narrative series, by Byungsub Kim

Seoul-based furniture designer Byungsub Kim designed a chair, shelving unit and bench for his Narrative series collection.

Kim combined stainless steel with Korean mother of pearl lacquerware – a traditional craft in which wood is lacquered and inlaid with mother of pearl – for the pieces.

"The Narrative series illuminates the tension that exists among the passage of time harboured within materials, the remnants of discarded functions, and their newly bestowed roles," said Kim.

After Inage series and White Nostalgia series, by Hyunhee Kim

Artist Hyunhee Kim developed a series of furniture informed by traditional Korean furniture and gyubang culture – the material and domestic culture associated with women's quarters in the traditional Korean home.

For the pieces, she deconstructed classical furniture forms and combined contemporary sculptural language with modern materials such as acrylic and aluminium, creating a dialogue between past and present.

Nodus, by Il Hoon Roh

Nodus is a lighting installation by Seoul-based architect Il Hoon Roh, which was informed by Korean's traditional paper-twining technique that first appeared in the 12th century.

Contemporary materials such as carbon fibre was combined with the heritage craft. Individual strands were twisted into knots which then accumulated to form a surface.

The work was created through the repetitive act of knotting, in reference to the name of the piece Nodus, which means knot in Latin.

"The series represent both an artistic investigation into the evolving relationship between these disciplines and a compelling synthesis of traditional craftsmanship and cutting-edge contemporary materials," said Roh.

Guseul by WKND Lab

Design studio WKND Lab's Guseul (sphere in Korean) is a lighting installation that featured a series of balls crafted by various traditional Korean techniques.

The black balls were made using Ottchil and mother of pearl, traditional wood lacquer inlaid with mother of pearl, while the red Chil-bo balls used a glass enamel technique and were made in collaboration with artisan Jeongkeun Park.

Founded by Eunji Jun and Halin Lee, WKND Lab aims to preserve traditional values by integrating them into contemporary work.

"Guseul embodies the journey from a single dot to a profound line, symbolising the connection of diverse elements into a cohesive whole," said WKND Lab.

Chimi Chair by Mokamjunamoo

Design studio Mokamjunamoo presented Chimi Chair at the exhibition. It was informed by chimi, a sculptural element found at the ends of the ridge lines in traditional Korean wooden architecture.

"Chimi Chair functions both as a utilitarian object and as an exploration of how the sculptural language of traditional architecture can be translated into a contemporary, everyday context," said Mokamjunamoo founder of Hwan Tae Kim.

Drawing in Space, by Cheon Woosun

Metal artist Cheon Woosun created vessel-like forms by welding metal wires with silver.

Drawing from the shape of Korean ceramic jars, the vessels were formed by connecting individual wires, which the Woosun described as "sketching in pencil".

Design Miami Seoul 2026 took place from 31 August to 6 September 2026 at Design Lab within Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Seoul, South Korea. See Dezeen Events Guide for more design events and exhibitions around the world. 

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