Interview with Sangin Park

Currently, I don't have a formal design studio or company; I operate completely as an independent maker. Rather than a grand office, my goal is to build a workshop that is perfectly tailored to my personal working style and the physical flow of making furniture.

To me, design is an element added to a space that brings comfort or joy to our human senses. Sometimes, it acts as a 'pleasant interference'—something we might be much freer without, yet brings pure joy simply by being there.

I am most passionate about designing objects for my own personal use. I love the anticipation of picturing exactly where a piece will be placed and how I will interact with it every day. The moment that piece is actually set in its intended space, bringing that imagination into physical reality, brings me the purest joy. It’s like a personal dream come true.

To be honest, my absolute favorite design is the form of a tree itself. It is amazing how each tree holds its own unique blueprint, growing in completely different ways, yet always achieving the most stable structures. At any given moment of its growth, a tree is already perfect. There is absolutely nothing to add, and nothing to take away.

I haven't worked as a corporate in-house designer, but my first commissioned project was for a bespoke tailor shop in Korea. They asked me to design a tray and coaster set for serving tea and coffee to their clients. Since a tailor shop creates garments dedicated to a single individual, I wanted the serving experience to reflect that same individualized care.
I designed a rectangular tray where three different sized coasters fit perfectly inside as a cohesive set. For practical storage, I carved interlocking grooves on the top and bottom of the trays so they could stack neatly on top of each other without separating the pieces. The owner loved it, and I actually still receive occasional orders from their clients who use the set firsthand.

When it comes to materials, my absolute favorite is white oak. Its grain is notoriously tough and stubborn, which demands a lot of physical effort and increases the chance of making a mistake. However, I love it for its natural light brown tone, which is the quintessential color that immediately comes to mind when you think of 'wood'. Exotic woods with wild patterns certainly have their charm, but nothing compares to the enduring beauty of white oak. The moment I rub oil into the surface of a fully assembled piece and watch its timeless color emerge, I am absolutely mesmerized.

I feel the most creative when I strongly feel the need for something. Even the chair I submitted to the A' Design Award was made just because I needed it for myself. In fact, every single piece I am truly proud of started from my own necessity. Because the need is so genuine, it allows me to inject a deeply individual perspective into the work, which makes the creative process incredibly fun and exciting.

I am always careful to ensure that a design never deviates from its original purpose. I constantly evaluate whether unnecessary components are making the piece too heavy, or if any parts are too thin and might compromise its structural stability.

I experience an alternating cycle of excitement and a sense of inadequacy. Imagining the completed work always makes my heart race. However, whenever I struggle to resolve a certain detail, I deeply feel my own limitations.

I feel a mixture of joy and relief. It is always a pleasure when a piece I personally needed turns out exactly as I imagined. I feel an immense sense of relief that the project was completed without any major mistakes and, most importantly, without any physical injuries. Yet, right at the very end, I also experience a slight anxiety as I begin to wonder what I should design next.

I believe that a successful design comes from a constant awareness of its intended purpose. The designer must keep the original function of the piece in mind throughout the entire design process.

A good design never gives the user a sense of anxiety. While a pure artwork might require a different approach, I believe that for crafts and furniture, one must always consider whether the piece causes any discomfort or physical insecurity for the user. Having beautiful decorations on a table leg is perfectly fine. However, if the wood removed to create those decorations weakens the structure to the point where it can no longer support adequate weight, then I consider that beautiful decoration to be a bad design.

I believe designers should constantly reflect on whether a piece born from personal inspiration can be universally embraced by society and the environment. We must always ask ourselves if we are the only ones satisfied with the result, and ensure that our work does not cause any harm to our surroundings.

I have a certain level of caution regarding AI generated design. Good design has always been recognized under the premise that it originates from a creative individual. This naturally raises the question of who should receive the credit for designs created by artificial intelligence. This issue is particularly complicated because we cannot clearly determine whether a design was actually made by AI or not. Over a long period, I am sure it will eventually become a helpful tool for humans. However, right now, it seems we are only at the starting point of a transitional phase.

I have not yet had a solo exhibition. But if I can gather a few more pieces of furniture or objects that beautifully complete an entire space together with the chair I recently crafted, I hope to host my first solo exhibition sometime next year.

My creativity is fed by observing furniture that has preserved its shape over many years. When a design does not change over a long period, it proves that people find it completely comfortable to use, and to me, that is the criterion for excellent design. I focus heavily on the structural integrity rather than the decorative elements of these enduring works, always questioning why the designer chose to build them in that exact way.

I do not think I have a specific design style. My current focus is entirely on studying the underlying skeleton of furniture. I believe that thoughtfully designing that bare structure is often perfectly sufficient on its own, leaving no need for any added style.

I live in Seoul, South Korea, and I believe I am always under the influence of our cultural heritage. Although furniture from various European brands is the most easily accessible here, I feel a unique warmth whenever I see historical Korean pieces in museums. Perhaps this warmth comes from the memories of the unrefined, simple furniture at my grandmother's house when I was young. Living here has its pros and cons. South Korea is a country where trends change rapidly. The ability to adapt quickly to these shifts is a significant advantage, but the disadvantage is the risk of leaving behind the essential values that we should actually protect.

I have not yet worked with companies. My focus has been entirely on my independent work.

Rather than the fame of the designer or the company, I believe what truly matters is whether both parties are ready to listen to each other's needs. A good collaboration starts with a mutual willingness to understand one another.

Once I decide what to make, I try to look at objects with the same purpose from as many different cultures as possible. I select or blend the most efficient approaches among them to create a basic sketch of a framework that can stand structurally on its own. After that, I use a 3D program to add volume and rigorously verify whether the design actually makes sense.

1. CH24 Wishbone Chair by Hans J Wegner : I consider it the most beautiful and practical chair design.
2. Bianchi Pista Bicycle : It represents the beautiful and perfect form of a fixed gear bicycle.
3. Arabia Finland Ruija vintage coffee cup and saucer : The hand drawn pattern is highly decorative, but it undeniably makes my coffee time much more enjoyable.
4. PlayStation DualSense Wireless Controller : It is a design that has been maintained without major changes for a very long time.
5. Soo no 2 Chair made by myself : It is a chair that I am personally very satisfied with.

My day starts with a brief prayer and washing up before heading out. Most of my time is spent at the workshop, but if I am in the middle of a design phase, I visit museums or exhibitions. Then I come back home, have a meal, and do a bit of jogging. I spend the rest of my evening doing ordinary household chores until I fall asleep.

Since I am also an emerging designer myself, I cannot offer any grandiose words of wisdom. However, I believe the most important thing is to keep working consistently until you genuinely feel it is enough for yourself.

The greatest positive is the pure joy of creating something new entirely by myself. However, the negatives are very realistic. I have to deal with an inconsistent income. Furthermore, amidst such rapid social changes, I often struggle with a heavy doubt about whether the work I am doing is actually unnecessary.

My golden rule is to remove anything unnecessary. Yet, I also believe that when a decorative element goes beyond structural beauty, it should be embraced.

The most important skill is knowing how to ask the right questions. Instead of just replicating a beautiful piece, a designer must question how that form came into existence, and why they themselves are drawn to it.

Since I can always observe exceptional design there, museums and exhibitions remain constant sources of inspiration for me. When I need to find modern solutions, exploring high end furniture sellers is also very helpful. The book Wegner: Just One Good Chair by Christian Holmsted Olesen is a great resource where I discover new lessons every time I open it. It was the book I relied on the most whenever I faced a block while designing chairs.

I tend to divide the work into distinct stages and always set a generous duration when starting. That way, I do not have to rush myself. If I happen to finish early, I can use that time to prepare for the next phase in advance.

It depends heavily on the specific object I am designing. Sometimes a piece is finished in less than a week, and other times it requires two full months to complete from beginning to end.

I have not had many opportunities to be interviewed, but the question I am asked most often is if my work is for my personal use or a commissioned project.

I spent several years working at a finishing company, serving as the point of contact for clients and producing samples for new projects. By dealing with a wide range of people, I learned that while client requests are incredibly diverse, there is also a surprising similarity in the aesthetic tastes that people share.

As an independent furniture maker, my clients are mostly private individuals. I also worked with Jangmirasa, a tailor shop located in Seoul, crafting coasters and trays for them to serve drinks to their customers.

The type of work I enjoy the most is creating pieces for my own personal use. When I clearly understand the exact location and purpose of an object, even if it is just a simple box, it keeps me motivated and full of anticipation from the beginning to the end.

I want to hold a solo exhibition someday by preparing a few pieces of furniture and objects that harmoniously fill a single space. I currently need to build a new dining table for my home. I plan to design this table to share the same nuance as my chair, and it would be great to display them together at the exhibition.

I do not work as a team. I develop all my designs and build the furniture entirely by myself.

I am currently working on a bedroom chest of drawers using ash wood. While studying traditional Korean furniture, I was deeply inspired by a chest from the Jeju region. Due to unique environmental factors, chests from that island developed a completely different form compared to those from other areas. However, a rough and bulky chest meant purely for storage would feel too heavy and stifling for a bedroom. To resolve this, I designed an open section within the chest to display small items, such as Korean porcelain or celadon. I am really looking forward to finishing this piece because it will transform the bedroom from a simple sleeping area into a space where I can quietly appreciate my favorite objects.

You can contact me directly via email at “sangin.inthepark@gmail.com”. You can also see my latest works and send me a message through my Instagram account, @namac.anyware.

There is nothing specific left to add. I think this process has been a great opportunity to ask myself questions that I had not yet asked before. Thank you.