TIDE
by Kwangho Lee
For this project — conceived and developed for the launch of the Tajimi Custom Tiles brand — Kwangho Lee was inspired by one of the typical production methods in Tajimi**, clay extrusion**. He created a brick-like module with a section in the form of a looped line that can be extruded to different lengths in order to assume various functions. The modules can be stacked horizontally or vertically to form simple architectural elements such as walls or benches.
When the modules are aligned, the repeated loop has an almost hand-drawn quality, creating patterns reminiscent of knitted fabric. “Knitting” has been an important theme in Kwangho’s work, and he has explored it in many materials and across different scales. In his work with tiles, this knitting motif creates references to the varying states of clay — from initially soft and malleable to ultimately hard and fixed. The individual Tide elements can be purchased at Tile Kiosk (limited availability).
Kwangho Lee
Designer | South Korea
Kwangho Lee (born 1981) completed his studies in Metal Art & Design in 2007 before establishing his own design studio in Seoul. Since childhood, Kwangho has enjoyed making things by hand, a passion he inherited from his grandfather. His grandfather was a farmer who crafted everyday household objects from the natural materials he found nearby. His grandfather’s influence shaped Kwangho’s perspective and way of working. In his work, Kwangho seeks to discover, revise, and reinterpret the ordinary, giving new meaning and function to everyday objects. He does this with a particular interest in the physicality of materials and the joints that connect them, working with artificial as well as natural materials such as Styrofoam, PVC, marble, copper, enamel, steel, and ceramic.
Kwangho was nominated for the Jury’s Selection of Designers of the Future Award at Design Miami/Basel in 2009, was selected as Artist of the Year in 2011 by the Korean Ministry of Culture, and Young Craftsperson of the Year in 2013 by the Yeol-a Society for Korean Cultural Heritage.
His works have been shown at Commissaires, Johnson Trading Gallery, Victor Hunt, Karena Schuessler, Clear Gallery & Edition, and Gallery Seomi, as well as in international exhibitions such as Design Miami/Basel and Design Days Dubai. Kwangho’s work is included in the permanent collections of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. His work has also been widely featured in major design publications worldwide.