Wonmin Park’s Haze Series exemplifies an intricate interplay of geometric simplicity and nuanced complexity. Introduced in 2012, this collection of objects presents an enigmatic dialogue between form, color, and texture. At first glance, the clean lines and translucent surfaces appear straightforward, but a deeper inspection reveals hidden asymmetries that challenge initial perceptions.
These subtle irregularities are harmonized by the gradients of color achieved through Wonmin Park’s distinctive casting process, lending each piece a compelling duality—simultaneously structured and ethereal. The Haze Series emerges as a meditation on the balance between rationality and individuality, addressing the often-overlooked tension between these forces in contemporary life.
A graduate of the Design Academy Eindhoven in 2011, Wonmin Park has firmly established himself in the global design landscape. His works have graced prestigious fairs such as Design Miami and Design Days Dubai, and he has been featured in exhibitions at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, the Triennale Design Museum in Milan, and Seoul’s National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. Born in Seoul, Park’s artistic journey has seen him founding his studio in Eindhoven shortly after graduation, followed by the establishment of a production facility in Rotterdam and a creative studio in Paris.
Central to Wonmin Park’s artistic practice is his innovative use of resin, a material that imbues his work with a dream-like, almost intangible quality. The interplay of opaqueness and transparency in his designs evokes a sensation of weightlessness, as if the pieces are suspended between light and air. Park himself describes this effect as achieving a “sense of lightness and purity,” aiming for creations that resonate with and adapt to their surroundings.
The tactile texture of resin further enhances this otherworldly aesthetic, allowing him to capture what he poetically refers to as “painting enveloped air.” This exploration forms part of a broader investigation into themes of substantiality versus insubstantiality, uncertainty, and ambiguity.
The creative process for the Haze Series is meticulous and begins with the careful blending of primary pigments to achieve precise color gradients. These pigments are then incorporated into resin molds, resulting in muted yet translucent hues that subtly interact at the joints of the assembled structures.
The final designs strike a fine balance between minimalism and functionality while maintaining a sense of tension through deliberate dissonances. This equilibrium amplifies the intrinsic beauty of the pieces, positioning them at the crossroads of the tangible and the ephemeral.
Park’s Haze Series transcends conventional design boundaries, offering not merely objects but experiences. Through a masterful interplay of form, color, and texture, he captures the essence of life’s contradictions, creating work that is as introspective as it is visually arresting.
All images by Carpenters Workshop Gallery, courtesy of Wonmin Park, shared with permission
