One to Watch: Seungjin Yang's playful and provocative balloon furniture

Seungjin Yang makes chairs from balloons coated in epoxy resin. The results are startling; a visual treat, twisting our expectations of what furniture can look like and be made from, teasing the viewer to ask if they can be sat on. Born from a playful and provocative attitude towards design, Yang's work entertains and enthrals in equal measure.

Get to know Seungjin Yang

Yang came to furniture making whilst studying at Hongik University in Seoul. Majoring in craft, he was particularly influenced by senior designer Lee Kwang-ho, who inspired him to pursue furniture as a future career path. He soon developed a clear signature with his balloon furniture, and Yang has since shown his work at Seoul’s D-Museum, MUDEC Museum of Cultures in Milan, and at The Future Perfect outposts across the US.

Working from his Hanam studio, Yang creates his furniture in various stages. After inflating each balloon, he applies layer after layer of epoxy, building up a firm and resilient shell around the inflated form. Following assembly of the furniture, further coats are added, both securing the structure and achieving the pleasing lustre of the completed piece. The process is time intensive, and demands a huge amount of patience. Yang reveals he keeps a strict schedule, describing his production technique briskly like a day job.

Beauty plays a significant part in Yang’s design ethos, inspiring and driving his creative approach. He has an enduring belief in the intrinsic value of beauty, which he believes is reflected in the craft, the care and time that goes into each piece. He is actively engaged in the relationship between form and function, playfully manipulating their boundaries in the pursuit of works that surprise and delight, simultaneously. As Yang himself puts it: “My head is full of thoughts about beautiful things - intense visual impressions. I try to express them as much as possible.”

Seungjinyang.com