Many of us spend our days at a desk typing away on the computer and at best, if we’re aware, we step away to take breaks and move our bodies. At worst, we’re praised by those who believe clocking long, uninterrupted hours is somehow morally superior. Designer Seo Chung Kyo observed this unfortunate social norm and used it as a conversation starter elicited by a series of simple seats called the Hipstool collection.
Kyo observes that we develop what he calls “heavy hips” as a result of our day-to-day routines spent mostly sitting in one place. Hipstool was thus designed to turn this commentary into a tangible form of art-furniture. On the metal’s surface, Kyo captures the indentations and marks that are made when sitting in a fabric chair for too long. The various patterns resemble woven threads with some depicting the irregularity of wrinkled fabric, all of which have been immortalized in stainless steel using a penetration technology. Not only does steel give the collection its weightiness and raw, industrial feel, the material also highlights the stools’ natural color gradations. Welding and cold bonding ensures that the stools will withstand the test of time.
“The shape of the sweat marks that occur when sitting in a chair for a long time implied the characteristics of modern people. I thought I could pattern the appearance of people living a similar daily life,” the designer says. “I thought I could express modern people’s behavior like a fabric pattern around the mentioned shapes. It is woven like a rope, and it constantly lists the shapes by filling in the areas that seem to be in conflict. It shows us fighting fiercely every day.”
For the maker, a direct art experience is the best way to reach an audience and facilitate active communication between the two parties. Seo Chung Kyo’s pursuit of works that engage as such borrow functions from objects connected to daily life, once again proving that art and utility are inextricably linked.
To learn more about the Hipstool collection, visit Seo Chung Kyo’s website.
