I was born in Seoul, South Korea and studied Industrial Design at Pratt Institute NYC in U.S and have been designing own stuffs and curating for my 'emok' gallery.

Designing things in my own way have always been my ultimate interest since I was kid.

Our Company and brand name “EMOK” is based on the meaning of “EAR AND EYE” and “ATTENTION” in Korean. I am in charge for Designing and Marketing in the company.

We are a start-up company that provides our own furniture designs, select shop for various types of stuffs, design collaboration with other fantastic artists, designers and companies as well as designing & branding consulting service for F&B business, new brands and others who need our services.

Realization of my imagination on a daily basis.

The design I love most is the one which I can create with minimalism and great functionality.

Good design does not only mean beauty but also the practicality of that particular design.

In my opinion, designers must have a reason or purpose of designing that specific creation.

I always try to observe things around me because you can transform the existing design into something that is totally new!

I would like to search for a very common design to reinvent it in my own word and style. So, when people see my designs, they will say ‘Oh, she can actually turn this simple design into something great!"

I would usually bring something that is very common around me for my initial brain storming stage and proceed with experimenting various colors & materials with my own design preferences right after that.

Yes, of course! Korean heritage is the first thing that gives me inspiration when designing new things.

I always think of ways to generate and re-create my own design based on our ancestor’s history.

It is such a great honor for us to be a part of the winners. We are delighted and pleased to witness our designs that was inspired by a small Korean traditional subject being recognized globally.

‘ARI’ represents the modernized and combination of Korea’s traditional beauty and craftsmanship.

The design was inspired by “hang-ari", Korea’s traditional oversized jar that was used during the ancient times. Hang-ari is a pottery container used to store traditional Korean sauces and pastes for cooking.

This one simple piece provides multiple functions for various purposes. It can be divided into two chairs and a table.

MUSE Design Awards is one the prestigious awards in the world. Hence, we wanted to try our luck to showcase our "ARI" design globally.

The biggest challenge is during the research and brainstorming session. Our "ARI" was created with several types of materials. Hence, we really need to be extra cautious in choosing its material, the weight of the materials used, colours, products structure as well as the production.

Winning the award is a motivation and acknowledgement of the hard work and effort that we put in designing our amazing "ARI".

Motors, Buildings, and Media

I think the Korean designs, including: clothing, architecture, furniture, and etc, from the ancient time is great representatives of minimalism. Korean culture is always about respect and courtesy, being practical and reserved.

This kind of culture background is being practiced and can seen in our designs.

After the global pandemic of COVID-19, everything around us have changed.

Thus, our industry will be transformed to contactless area, such as virtual art gallery, virtual products showcase, and many more.

Believe in yourself, your passion and your Design.

Always try to have a designer's point of view to everything around you. Even if it just small things, such as: pen, lighters or even hangers.

Every object can be translated into your own design language.

My family and my business partner, Jason Choi.

They consistently encourage, motivate, and inspire me in every way possible.

Patience, Consistency, Persistence and Endless Efforts of Exploring New Things.

Yang Yoowan(Glass Artist)

Kang Jun Young(Creative Director)

Chris Bunjamin(Photographer)