Furniture series : Red Ochre and a Wise Man 2020
1st Edition : Anima series ver.2
This 1st edition of furniture made of Ocragela questions the value of standardized mass-products of today. As anima, an origin word of animus which means rational soul, life or intelligence, signifies ‘breath’, this design is inspired by intuitive life-form of nature and inherently intelligent animals and processed in one-of-a-kind way from carving the wood to upholstering the structures with Ocragela.
Furniture series : Red Ochre and a Wise Man 2020
1st Edition : Anima series ver.2
This 1st edition of furniture made of Ocragela questions the value of standardized mass-products of today. As anima, an origin word of animus which means rational soul, life or intelligence, signifies ‘breath’, this design is inspired by intuitive life-form of nature and inherently intelligent animals and processed in one-of-a-kind way from carving the wood to upholstering the structures with Ocragela.
Soowon Chae / 채수원 (1991) South Korea
Soowon is a designer who questions the cycle of one project leading to one conclusion and sees the project as a perpetual query, hoping each of the projects and concomitant queries would build up an idea.
He is interested in those whose meanings and functions have transformed throughout changes of time, and Soowon puts a special emphasis on how to reinterpret and re-evaluate the authentic values of those underrepresented and marginalized.
With respect to the most primitive and pristine beauty of nature, the human-nature relationship, and human’s innate creativity, he endeavors to express his ideas and vestiges through both narrative-building and design.
EDUCATION
Design Academy Eindhoven / Man & Well-Being
Eindhoven, The Netherlands / 2015 - 2019
EXPERIENCE
Co-founder at THE NAIVE SIDE
Eindhoven, The Netherlands / From 2023
Assistant Curator at YKSI EXPO
Eindhoven, The Netherlands / Jan 2020 - Dec 2021
Internship at EREZ NEVI PANA
Tel Aviv, Israel / Aug - Dec 2018
AWARD / NOMINATION
Rossana Orlandi, Guiltless Plastic Prize 2020, 2nd Prize
'Ocragela : Red Ochre and a Wise Man'
Milan, Italy / 2020
De architect, ARC20 Furniture Award, Finalists / Top 3
'Ocragela : Red Ochre and a Wise Man'
Rotterdam, The Netherlands / 2020
Corunum, Ceramic Design Contest 2018, Top 20
'Apple of my Eye'
s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands / 2018
TALK / LECTURE / WORKSHOP
Workshop, 'The Journey of the Ocragela'
at Hongik University for the Interior Architecture department
Seoul, South Korea / 26 Mar 2024
Lecture, 'Between the sense of responsibility and freedom of a designer'
at Hongik University for the Interior Architecture department
Seoul, South Korea / 28 Nov 2023
Lecture, 'Metaverse seen in the eyes of a sustainable material designer'
at Korea National University of Arts
Online / 13 Nov 2022
The Museum-Carbon-Project at MMCA
A Discussion on Materials for Sustainable Art Practices
Seoul, South Korea / 27 Aug 2022
The Museum-Carbon-Project at MMCA
A Workshop on Materials for Sustainable Art Practices
Seoul, South Korea / 24 Aug 2022
Future Materials Encounters workshop at Jan Van Eyck Academie
Maastricht, The Netherlands / 14 Apr 2022
Lecture, 'Pig, Ochre, and Human' at Celinepark Gallery
Seoul, South Korea / 27 Jan 2021
Rethinking Plastic Online Interview for Creapro at DDW2020
Online / 22 Oct 2020
MATERIAL LIBRARY / 'OCRAGELA'
Material District
Naarden, NL / From Dec 2019
Material ConneXion
New York, USA / From Feb 2020
Materfad, Center de materials de Barcelona
Barcelona, ES / From Jan 2020
London Metropolitan University | Aldgate Library
London, UK / From Jan 2020
University Mainz | University of Applied Sciences
Mainz, DE / From Jan 2020
Colab | Dubai Design District
Dubai, UAE / From May 2020
Slovak Design Center
Bratislava, SK / From Jun 2020
FCBA | Innovathèque Technological Institute
Champs sur Marne, FR / From June 2020
University library in Philadelphia | Fisher Fine Arts Library
Philadelphia, USA / From Jul 2020
Material Lab | Pratt Institute's School of Design
New York, USA / From Nov 2020
Mata-Log | University of Brighton
Brighton, UK / From Nov 2020
PlusX | Brighton library
Brighton, UK / From Nov 2020
Future materials bank, Jan van Eyck Academie & Central ST Martins
Maastricht, NL & London, UK / From Dec 2020
RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) Material Resource Center
Providence RI, USA / From Apr 2021
Colour of Saying | Material Design Agency
London, UK / From Apr 2021
MatériO | library of materials
Prague, CZ / From Jun 2021
FEATURED
RESPONSE-ABILITY curated by Yeni Ma
"Retroact"
Berlin, Germany
Access Cultural Platform magazine by Yonsei University
"Soowon Chae, Delivering Stories through Materials"
Seoul, South Korea
Life & Style trend book 2022 by NellyRodi
"Ocragela"
Paris, France
"Soowon Chae & Ocragela"
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Asia Color Trend Book 2020-21 by DIC Color Design, Inc
"Ocragela"
Tokyo, Japan
COVER ALL Vol.05 by NOROO Seoul Design Studio
"Plastigela"
Seoul, South Korea
INTERIORS Feb 2021 by Monthly-interiors KOREA
"Ocragela: Tracing Another Origin exhibition"
Seoul, South Korea
"Ocragela: Tracing Another Origin exhibition"
Seoul, South Korea
"Ocragela: Tracing Another Origin exhibition"
Seoul, South Korea
EXHIBITION
2024
Futures - Design and Materials at Grassimuseum
"Furniture: Anima series ver.2 Stool"
Leipzig / 20 Nov 2024 - 24 Aug 2025
Circular Biomaterials at Orgatec
"Furniture: Anima series ver.2 Stool"
Cologne / 22-25 Oct 2024
2023
School of Tomorrow by Kinetic, Singapore Design Week 2023
"Ocragela samples"
Singapore / 21 Sep- 1 Oct 2023
Response-ability at SomoS Berlin
"Retroact: A Pig Trapped in a Cube"
Berlin, Germany / 4-11 Feb 2023
2022
Wondering Korea with Kitte Ateliers Platform at Artsy
"Ocragela: Anima series"
Online / Oct 2022
Intergenerational Graduation Show, 75 years of DAE, Salone del Mobile
"Ocragela: Red Ochre and a Wise Man"
Milan, Italy / 7-12 Jun 2022
Material District Expo 2022
"Ocragela samples"
Utrecht, The Netherlands / 5-7 Apr 2022
2021
Now, another world ahead of us
"Ocragela: Red Ochre and a Wise Man"
Gwangju, South Korea / 6-10 Dec 2021
Stokroos Foundation Projects at YKSI Expo, Dutch Design Week 2021
"Molded, shaped, and cast"
Eindhoven, The Netherlands / 16-24 Oct 2021
Rethinking Plastic exhibition, Romanian Design Week 2021
"Ocragela samples, Anima series object "
Bucharest, Romania / 4-13 Jun 2021
Art & New Materials, Design for a better future
"Plastigela samples"
Sittard, The Netherlands / Feb - Sep 2021
Ocragela: Tracing Another Origin at CP Gallery
"Ocragela: Red Ochre and a Wise Man"
Seoul, South Korea / Jan - Mar 2021
2020
Dutch Design Week 2020 / Virtual DDW20
"Ocragela: Red Ochre and a Wise Man"
Eindhoven, The Netherlands / 17-25 Oct 2020
Dutch Design Week 2020 / Virtual DDW20
"Plastigela samples"
Eindhoven, The Netherlands/ 17-25 Oct 2020
Rossana Orlandi Guiltless Plastic Prize
"Ocragela: Red Ochre and a Wise Man"
Milan, Italy / 28 Sep - 10 Oct 2020
Re-thinking plastic exhibition
"Plastigela samples"
Eindhoven, The Netherlands / From 2 Sep 2020
Rossana Orlandi Gallery
"Furniture: Anima series ver.2 (Chair, Stool)"
Milan, Italy/ From Jul 2020
Yksi Expo Exhibition
"Red Ochre and a Wise Man"
Eindhoven, The Netherlands / Jan-Jul 2020
2019
Dutch Design Week at Graduation show G19
"Red Ochre and a Wise Man"
Eindhoven, The Netherlands / Oct 2019
Material's Future Life at The Tallinn Design Festival
"Red Ochre and a Wise Man"
Tallinn, Estonia / Sep 2019
Hope Exhibition
Curated by Ilse Crawford and Oscar Peña at Kazerne
"A Lunch in the Wild South"
Eindhoven, The Netherlands / Apr - Aug 2019
2018
La Reunion 'Valuing, Sensing, Connecting Crafts'
"A Lunch in the Wild South"
Eindhoven, The Netherlands / Jul 2018
Gastronomic Exhibition at TAC
"Apple of my Eye"
Eindhoven, The Netherlands / Apr 2018
CorUnum Design Contest 2018 Top 20
"Apple of my Eye"
S-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands / Apr 2018
2017
Clay Stories at Dutch Design Week 2017
"Apple of my Eye"
Eindhoven, The Netherlands / Oct 2017