Chae Rin Hwang is an object maker and spatial designer living and working in South Korea. In her work she explores the historical and scientific context of nature and human history by reinterpreting the information she obtains into a physical and tangible art form. She enjoys seeing her art becoming formulated and interacted in diverse spatial settings.
What was the inspiration for your Steinbeisser pieces?
At the time that I made the ‘Excavation Site Plates’ I had just moved back to Korea after living in London for 4 years. I wanted to be reconnected to my roots and started researching archaeological objects from ancient Korean history. There are so many hidden stories that are embedded in these objects that once belonged to my ancestors. Through this experience of studying and reliving the Korean history in a multi-sensory way, I was inspired to retrieve the ancient imagination into the modern world.
Describe your work in 3 words!
Style. Free-spirited. Colorful.
Which conscious lifestyle choices are you making and are you considering any new ones?
When consuming, I consider the lifespan of a product, the better the quality the less I will spend in the future. I try to repair everything that breaks and if it is not repairable I try to recycle it by creating art. In fact, all of my home decoration is made from these recycled works of art.
What have you rebelled against in the past and what are you rebelling against now?
I am someone who does not conform to the trends. Whether it is art, fashion, beauty or ideas, I believe one should maintain one’s own uniqueness and free expression of self. People should be respected for who they are, even if they do not conform with the majority. There is a term in Korean called ‘청개구리 (cheong-gaeguri)’. It means ‘tree frog’, which refers to someone who does not follow the rules and rather goes the opposite way. I like to think that I am that ‘cheong-gaeguri’.