Korean Designer Bae Sehwa combines craftwork and technology to create his stunning furniture series aptly titled Steam. The series features benches, armchairs, stools, tables, desks etc, all bearing a fluid, wave-like aesthetic.
That peculiar aesthetic is the result of a fusion of handcrafted steam bending and computer aided digital renderings. Sehwa’s pieces start as digital renders, showing the structure and shape of his designs, then they move on to the workshop where strips of hardwood are steamed for a number of hours, to get them soft and malleable, ready to be bent into shape.
The inspiration behind the pieces draws from the Korean concept of baesanimsu which refers to the ideal house built with a mountain at the back and a river in the front. This probably informs the ‘mountain-esque’ and river-like fluidity that characterises the aesthetic of this furniture series. Its a style similar to Matthias Pliessnig’s bentwood benches, but still holds its own charm and wonder. Take a look. (Images courtesy Seomi International, where you can see many more)
