A 'STEAM-12' BENCH, 2011

Bae Se Hwa (b.1980) is a South Korean designer with a studio based in Paju. He earned his BFA in Woodworking and Furniture Design from Hongik University and received critical national recognition and awards for his work, including the 2009 Gold Prize at the Gyeng’gi Furniture Competition, early in his career. It was with his debut at the 2010 Design Miami Art Fair in Basel, however, that Bae emerged as an internationally acclaimed artisan of consummate skill.

Deriving inspiration for his organic, yet functional, creations from nature and the traditional Korean principles of balance and harmony, as well as Beasanimsu (“back of the mountain and front of the water”), Bae is best known for his “Steamed Series” of curvaceous, sculptural furniture made of bent walnut. He begins the creative process with digital renderings of his designs and then engineers production with an innovative use of a steam bending technique. This allows him to manipulate and deconstruct linear strips of wood until they can be reconfigured into pliable, flowing slices. The final result, like the superb bench on offer, is an undulating rhythmic form that reveals its beauty and tranquil qualities through line, surface, precision and flawless construction. Furthermore, the design of this exquisite bench brilliantly suggests the meditative movement of water against the backdrop of a majestic mountainous landscape.