While today an outpouring of Korean design reaches the public eye at international platforms including 100% Design and Salone Internazionale del Mobile, its international reach is a recent development. Only in the past decade has Korean design succeeded to stretch out its wings on a global scale — in part due to a calculated push from the Korean Institute of Design Promotion (KIDP), founded in 1970, and design exhibition Design Korea, launched in 2003.
Next month, New York's Edward Tyler Nahem Fine Art provides an exclusive look at some of Korea's hottest design stars. On view February 26 through April 4, "Korean Contemporary Design: Kang Myungsun, Bae Sehwa, Bahk Jong‐Sun, and Lee Hun Chung" focuses on four standout designers who merge contemporary design with the rich heritage of the East Asian territory.
Nature is a prominent theme in objects on view, which include Bae Sehwa's sculptural storage container in bent walnut, a minimalistic desk in cherry by Bahk Jong Sun, and Lee Hun Chung's glazed ceramic stools.