[en] At Viefe® we collaborate with international designers to create products with unique designs, perfect finishes and the ideal ergonomics. Today we present to you Sung Sook Kim, director of art, interior designer and industrial designer who has contributed to our first ever catalogue for wall hooks by Viefe® with the design for the elegant Orbit wall hook.
We’ve spoken to her to find out more about her products on the international stage and her process of creation. We’ve been able to understand more about the characteristic design of this artist who’s bursting with elegance and sophistication, a personal style which has led her to collaborate with some of the best furniture brands around.
Sung, can you briefly tell us about your career so far?
I’m from Seoul and I graduated in Industrial Design at the Women’s University of Seoul. After some experience working in Korea, I moved to Europe in the 90’s and started my career in Milan at Piero Lissoni Associati where I worked as a senior designer for 11 years. I worked together with Piero Lissoni, a great designer with a multidisciplinary focus towards architectonic design for furniture and communication, which was a great experience for me as it allowed me to develop projects with clients who have an international reputation such as Alessi, Boffi, Cappellini, Cassina, Kartell, Lema, Living Divani, Porro and Wella.
In 2002 I set up my own design company in Milan: sskmilano. An interdisciplinary design studio that works just as much on the Asian stage as the European stage, assisting clients that range from furniture companies to fashion houses.
I have also been able to take part in various exhibitions and competitions. In 2003, I (@bbc_k) was awarded third prize in the “Ideal Office” competition, Albo degli Architetti, Roma. In 2007 I was asked to participate as one of the invited designers at the London Design Festival, exhibiting various products designed for Pamar. Also, in 2013 I took part in “Korea Power” exhibition at the Angewandte Kunst Museum in Frankfurt with my design “Tong Tea Pitcher / Bosa Ceramiche”, which now forms part of their permanent collection.
With sskmilano I have worked on various collaborations with international companies such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Cassina, EmmeBi, GS engineering and construction, Seoul Design Foundation, Piazza Sempione, Sergio Rossi, Busnelli and Matteograssi and Belite.
In which sectors do you work?
Especially in the field of interior design and furniture design. I’ve always thought about them as one and the same in terms of objects and space. In my designs, the relationship between objects and space follows the same coherent line.
Can you tell us about one piece of work that you are especially proud of?
One of the projects that I am really proud of is MET + ON OFF / Cassina sofa + auxiliary table which I had the opportunity to design together with my old mentor Piero Lissoni. A sofa with pure, linear, geometrical shapes of extreme simplicity, combining comfort, versatility and impeccable elegance.
How and why did you start to collaborate with Viefe®?
Viefe® got in contact with me themselves and I was really pleased to have the opportunity to collaborate with them, both for design aspects and for the professional experience of working with a Spanish company.
I was really interested in working together with Viefe®, a brand that investigates the importance of design that can make a difference without the size of the object really mattering. Coming from an academic background in industrial design, I was keen to collaborate and throughout the creative process I’ve been able to experience their hybrid focus geared towards attention to detail and well organized as regards the quality of the design.
So, is this your first time in the world of wall hooks? How was your experience?
Well, in fact this is my second time. I also collaborated with an Italian company in the design of both decorative and functional wall hooks.
What steps do you follow when you design a product?
I start in a pretty classic way by making sketches from zero, to no particular scale just following my hand and letting my ideas flow freely through whatever may be inspiring me. Once the general shape is decided on, the design then requires the search for details and materials. I think it’s a really stimulating process in comparison with, say, the design of a chair, as the design of a wall hook gives you more freedom and opportunities to experiment.
What inspires you?
Throughout my career as a designer, I’ve always been inspired by simple, primitive geometric shapes that can be transformed in many ways, adding the depth of the third dimension and mixing them according to the context. The geometry of the circle has been a particularly inspiring shape for my designs given its smooth relationship with other shapes and organic spaces.
The perfect wall hook is the one which… matches its context, just as a photo frame hung on the wall, a wall hook has the same decorative value and adds character to its surroundings. What’s more, as regards its shape, of course it has to be easy to use and smooth so as not to damage the clothing.
A style of interior design…
I still haven’t applied it to any of my personal designs, but at the moment I’m fascinated with the eclectic style. Even though I prefer the design and style of a minimalist lifestyle, I’m fascinated by the challenge of designing a space using a combination of different global influences and patterns from my own personal experience.
Which is your favourite part of the house?
The hallway. They usually say that the hallway is a waste of space and that it isn’t functional, but I have always liked hallways, whether in my own country or abroad. I like a long and narrow space, as if it was a gallery in domestic surroundings.