Ki-Tae Kim
Plussoo
Woodturner
Seoul, South Korea
The art of the hollow wooden form
- The wood's grain often guides Ki-Tae's sculptural works
- He preserves scars and knots as records of a tree's life
- His carbonisation technique results in pieces that evoke ink-wash paintings
Ki-Tae Kim shapes wood on a lathe, letting the grain guide and refine his original idea. He finishes each piece through repeated sanding and oiling over several weeks. Central to his philosophy is honouring the wood's imperfections, treating scars and knots as records of a tree's life rather than defects to be erased. "While I define the form, the wood dictates the intricate, detailed patterns," he says. Working mainly with paulownia for its depth of grain, Ki-Tae balances his practice as an artist exploring Korean aesthetics with his role as an educator introducing woodturning to a wider Korean audience.
INTERVIEW
Woodturning involves fixing wood to a lathe, spinning it at high speed and shaping it with specialist tools. My process begins with an idea for a form. I then select a suitable wood species, whose grain sometimes leads me to revise my original plans. After shaping and sanding, I apply oil and let the piece dry, repeating this process over several weeks until finished.
Imperfections are not flaws, but records of time and endurance. I never conceal scars or knots. I preserve them to express respect for what was once a living thing.
The most important factor is grain. It traces the tree's life, and can never be reproduced by human hands. I am drawn to thick, deep patterns for their strength, which is why I mainly use paulownia trees. I do use other woods, depending on each work's character.
I see myself as both artist and educator, teaching at Plussoo Woodturning Studio three days a week through a progressive curriculum. Rather than focusing on technique alone, I share the aesthetics of woodcraft as we shape wood together.
Ki-Tae Kim
Plussoo
Woodturner
Seoul, South Korea
ADDRESS
Address upon request, Seoul, South Korea
AVAILABILITY
By appointment only
PHONE
+82 1062883046
LANGUAGES
Korean
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