SOOM (숨)
Joey Kim
SOOM
where touch guides constant to calm.
THE CORE
The core of this project starts from my memories growing up back in Korea. My grandparents were both farmers until they passed when my dad was young leading my auntie to take over. The memories of playing in the corn fields and swimming amongst the corn leaves still remain very prominent to me.
DISREGARDED MATERIAL
This led myself to view corn husks more than just the peel of a corn. I found out how much corn husks were being wasted and even burnt away. I started to reach out to local farms like the Alder Acres farm and farms in Granville island to collect corn husks that were being disregarded.
PROJECT OBJECTIVE
“a lived connection with nature”
With the material in mind, I began to think about wellness. Living in a rapid, constant world the priority of our wellness, both mentally and physically, seemed to be decreasing. Especially thinking about my roots, South Korea, where most places are urbanized and constantly changing.
how can i capture this connection with nature in an environment that is far from it…
EXPLORATION
I had landed on this concept of braiding corn husks and joining the strands by different sewing methods. I also knew that I wanted to bring in my practice of woodworking into this project so I had also experimented how corn husks would interact with wood.
After researching different traditional Korean patterns, I became really drawn to these straight line patterns that existed in traditional Korean doors or hallways. How they overlap and create shapes when multiple are combined.
SOOM (숨)
A set of two seats that demonstrate the strength and durability of a material that is often disregarded.
L-shaped frame inspired by traditional Korean patterns. Both seat surfaces are weaved with corn husks and the frame shape allows for different seating configurations.
