Sap of the Korean Ott tree as lacquer applied to ceramics
Clay, as a raw material, is purely natural. This must mean that ceramics are reasonably sustainable and harmless, right? This was also the thought designer Yoon Seok-hyeon had when he first started working with clay. ‘Unlike other materials that we come into contact with as designers, such as plastics, clay is soft, malleable and you can handle it without wearing a mask or gloves.’ As a result, Yoon was soon very charmed by the material, until he learned more about glaze. Glaze is a protective layer, preventing damage to the ceramic. It is often applied after the clay has first been fired, and requires the object to go back into the kiln again. During this second firing, the glaze melts into the clay and can never come off, making ceramics very difficult to recycle. In addition, harmful pigments are often added to glazes further complicating the process. ‘I felt a bit betrayed by this material,’ he says. So Yoon went in search of sustainable, recyclable alternatives to glaze.
An alternative to glazing
Yoon began to research different ways to protect ceramic tableware without glazing. After looking at many different techniques, he eventually drew inspiration from South Korea, the country where he grew up. ‘In East Asian countries, the Ott tree grows, whose sap is converted into a lacquer that has been used for centuries to protect wood from weather and fungi.’ Ott is mainly used in architecture in Asia and can be mixed with a variety of pigments to give traditional buildings a colourful appearance. Yoon now employs this lacquering technique to coat ceramic tableware, in its natural brown-orange colour. The lacquer air-dries, so the ceramics do not need to be fired a second time, saving a lot of energy. In addition, the ceramics can be more easily recycled because no glaze has been used. ‘Suppose one of my cups comes to the end of its use cycle, the Ottglaze can be burned off and the ceramic pulverised.’ Then it can be used, for example, as chammot, a powder used as an ingredient to make larger ceramic sculptures sturdier.
An everyday object in different cultures
Yoon studied at the Design Academy Eindhoven and is particularly interested in everyday objects in his design practice. ‘Everyday objects are very close to us and can also be artistic and poetic,’ he says. Yoon was further fascinated by everyday objects upon finding their various uses to be culturally determined. ‘I experience a little culture shock every time I see how differently certain utensils are treated in Korea versus here in the Netherlands.’
One example is how people use a sofa. In the Netherlands, we are used to sitting or lying on the sofa together. ‘In Korea, we sit with the family on the floor and eat at a low table, using the sofa as a backrest for the eldest member of the family, as a sign of respect.’ The sofa is sometimes used as a guest bed, but less so as lounge furniture. ‘I always find it important to see how my designs are used by different people in varying contexts, to fact-check whether they are indeed used as I predict.’ A modular lounge furniture Relaxing Configurationemerged from this research by Yoon.
Design inspiration
His research for Crafts Council Nederlands (w)aardewerk project is also a way for Yoon to reinvent cultural practices around everyday objects. He applies a Korean lacquering technique, originally only used for wood, to ceramics. His project thus creates a cultural crossover between Dutch design practice and a Korean tradition.
Within the (w)aardewerk community of practice, Yoon has been able to find much inspiration. ‘It’s always great to meet other designers and see the great work they make,’ he says. Yoon is currently researching how his ceramics can be made more wear-resistant. ‘Ott does not dry rock hard like a glaze does, therefore it is not completely scratch-resistant,’ he says. By playing with textures in the clay and the shapes of the tableware he makes, Yoon is looking for ways to make his lacquered ceramics even more user-friendly and durable. In the future, he hopes to showcase the beauty of ceramic objects further: ‘In Asia, there is a greater tradition of treating ceramics with care and valuing them. I hope to introduce that here too, with Ott ceramics.
