Trees immortalised
- Honggu draws his ideas from everyday life
- He delights in displaying the positive energy of trees
- In his objects, he portrays the quality of his materials
For Honggu Park, woodwork is his first and ultimate job. He started a relationship with wooden furniture when he was young. He was drawn to the evocative smell, feel and texture of wood. He continues to be enthralled by it and feels very privileged to be able to shape this living thing, and convey something of its vibrancy and vividness. He has created a wide variety of furniture. He sees his time working on wood not as a waste, rather as a time of accumulation of knowledge about wood and woodworking skills. For him, the tree is a companion, a life living together with him.
Discover his work
INTERVIEW
An artistic solution to minimise wood distortion due to changing seasons is Nakdong which is a traditional technique of burning wood. My “Abstract Tanhwa” series was created out of experiments to find ways to express unique, abstract patterns and textures.
I spent 38 years gaining experience making traditional Korean and European furniture, I combined these techniques resulting in unique furniture structures and styles. I invented "Abstract Tanhwa", a technique of burning various types of wood, as a way of decorating the surface.
My work is a product of understanding the natural state of wood and how it evolves in time and space. It stimulates all the five senses beyond the functionality and visual beauty of objects which allows people to connect with the world in a new way.
To me, a well made woodcraft is a work that allows you to see, perceive and experience the world from a new angle, a new perspective.
