South Korean craft is making a resurgence say panellists at Dezeen x Bentley Lighthouse talk

Traditional and contemporary South Korean crafts are experiencing growth, according to a panel of experts at a filmed talk hosted by Dezeen and Bentley in Seoul.

The talk brought together a panel of designers and design experts to discuss crafts and luxury in design at the Bentley Cube, the brand's showroom and clubhouse in Seoul.

The event was filmed by Bentley and can be watched above.

The panellists discussed how interest in local crafts was growing amid the global explosion of interest in South Korean culture and society known as the "Hallyu," or "Korean wave."

"We're using new design with old techniques of craft, using local materials and really showing something new to the design world," said panelist Teo Yang, a local designer and founder of Teo Yang Studio.

"Craft has been considered as something that's from the past, but now people are really trying to use craft to create new business and ways of introducing new aesthetics into the design scene," he continued.

Joining Yang on the panel was Jiyoon Lee, founder of the curatorial platform SUUM Project and former managing director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Korea, as well as Chris Cooke, head of design collaborations at Bentley Motors.

The talk, moderated by Dezeen's editorial director Max Fraser, was the third in the Lighthouse series of panel discussions hosted by Dezeen and Bentley exploring the future of luxury. It was held at the Bentley Cube space in Gangnam, Seoul, in October 2024.

Titled Contemporary Crafts: Preserving Heritage in Luxury Design, the discussion also explored how the once-separate worlds of art and craft were merging.

"There was a really strong division between craft and art," said Lee. "Art was seen as very luxurious and important, but compared to that, craft was only found in very small shops. People were not really interested in craft before."

"As lifestyles change and the Korean economy is developing and growing, I think people start to look at traditional Korean values," she added. "I think we can witness the moment craft and art start to engage in a very amazing way."

Cook, who appeared in two previous Dezeen x Bentley Lighthouse talks in Milan and London, went on to describe the importance of craftsmanship in Bentley's designs.

"Craftsmanship and Bentley have gone hand in hand for many years," he said.

He also spoke of Bentley's enduring appeal, referencing the materials and handmade features found in Bentley's cars.

"People do really appreciate and resonate with working with their hands and trying to fine-tune something to get it to an absolute state of perfection," Cook concluded.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen as part of a partnership with Bentley. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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