Geonmin

Think & Process

In 2018, the Korean nonprofit foundation Arumjigi commissioned the design of portable ancestral ritual ware. In Korea, the tradition of honoring and remembering ancestors involves family gatherings to set up a ceremonial table. During holidays, families may visit their ancestors’ graves to pay respects, using a portable set of ritual ware for these occasions. However, the portable ritual sets available on the market focused solely on convenience, lacking the solemnity essential to ancestral rites.

One significant issue was the sound of the ritual items rattling inside plastic cases due to a lack of securing mechanisms, a problem manufacturers hadn’t considered. This noise disrupted the solemnity and respect central to the ritual. Thus, the primary goal of this project was to eliminate such noise.

Various structures for securing the items within the case were considered, but the design had to meet specific criteria: it needed to embody “solemnity” and “elegance” while also displaying “originality” as a display piece. Drawing on my background in sculpture, the concept of “demolding” came to mind. Demolding refers to the release of a cast object from its mold. In this context, by securing the items within a fixed mold, noise could be minimized. Utilizing the widening base of traditional Korean ritual ware, I devised a structure where the items would be held within the case. A thin, sliding panel on the case’s floor was designed to keep the items in place, and a utensil holder was positioned at the center to lock the panels, ensuring the items were secured without altering their surfaces or forms, preserving the dignity of the ritual ware.

The next challenge was to refine this puzzle-like design into a cohesive sculptural form. Simply having an idea was not enough; each element had to be considered three-dimensionally and integrated organically. The plastic case’s straight angles clashed with the ritual ware’s mostly curved forms, creating a seemingly unresolvable aesthetic dissonance. Ultimately, I resolved this by adding subtle decorative elements that wouldn’t disrupt the overall harmony. I took inspiration from a traditional Korean design element—the fan-shaped curve seen in hanok eaves and the rounded tips of traditional socks. Negative semi-circles were placed at the case’s corners to soften its rigidity. When closed, these indented semi-circles differentiated the design, providing a visual bridge that complemented the organic curves of the ritual items, while also interacting with the case’s symmetrical embossed pattern, thus contributing to the core theme of securely fixed ritual ware.

This piece was exhibited in Arumjigi’s 2018 “Gagarye” exhibition, where a V&A curator, impressed by the conceptual development and final product, initiated the acquisition process. 'Nomad' was subsequently acquired by the V&A Museum in 2019 as part of its permanent collection.