useful + agreeable

designer q+a:

little wonder

design duo little wonder, from korea and canada via slovenia, finland and the usa have recently teamed up with german giant, rosenthal

Gyungju Chyon and John Stanislav Sadar

www.littlewonder-design.com

vase series: "Opening"

produced by Rosenthal
Large: ø 240 mm, H 320 mm
Medium: ø 240mm, H 160 mm
Small: ø 170 mm, H 100 mm

www.rosenthal.de/46n/deutsch_Unternehmen_Press_2399.htm

designers' statement:

On first glance, the vases are familiar, yet unusual. The form offers familiarity, setting the rules, while the opening breaks them, provoking us to see the vases in a new light.

The vases combine the precision of archetypical ceramic forms with an organic vitality, as if the forces of the earth itself have given birth. The different shapes and sizes of the family fit the vases to various circumstances.

q: what are the ideas you are working with now?

a: (jss) These days, it seems as though much of design and design and cultural endeavours, more generally, are caught up with the notion of "looking cool." Often the result is something that may well "look cool," while leaving us unaffected. Examples of this surround us - in the movies, where one sci-fi action movie after another are visually stunning but emotionally hollow; in architecture, where seductive Maya-generated renderings may mesh with current theory while leaving us sensorially unsatisfied. We are seeing our work as a sort of resistance to this. We want our work to generate emotions beyond "looking cool." Yet we also want our work to engage new ways of living and experiencing the world. And we also see our work as something that emerges from materials through "eye, hand, and thought," as Tapio Wirkkala would put it.

q: what products are you most interested in featuring at the moment?

a:(gc) In terms of what we are working on these days, we have on-going projects for a bathtub, home accessories, and a vacation house. In the coming year, we are hoping to work more on tableware and kitchen items, and also on bathroom products. There will also be some competitions.

q: also, separate from this feature on lw, would you let me know of any designers - or film-makers, musicians, or even innovative hotels or restaurants - anywhere in the world - which have caught your eye in recent months?

a: (jss + gc) The Rosenthal-Casino in Selb is a very interesting hotel. For the story, refer to www.rosenthal-casino.de.

Tara Donovan is Gyungju's favourite artist these days.

Although not so new, in the music department, Múm sounds pretty good these days, as does about half of Timo Maas's Pictures album.

firm profile:
1/ little wonder
little wonder is an interdisciplinary design studio based in Philadelphia. The designer duo met while studying in Helsinki, and started activities as little wonder in 2004. little wonder's activities have ranged from the design of tableware and lighting, to the design of buildings. Its work has been exhibited in such venues as the Design Exchange, in Toronto, and the Felissimo Design House, in New York City; and has been published internationally through both print and the web, in such periodicals as Intramuros, Interni, Azure, Core77, MoCoLoCo, Urban Zeitgeist, and Useful+Agreeable. Current projects include a bathtub, home accessories, and a vacation home.

2/ Gyungju Chyon
Gyungju is currently teaching in the industrial design department at the University of the Arts, in Philadelphia. Prior to that, she worked in set-design and graphic design in Toronto, and taught furniture design in Helsinki. She earned her Master of Arts in furniture and interior architecture from the University of Art and Design (Taideteollinen Korekeakoulu) in Helsinki, and her Bachelor of Arts in industrial design from Hong-Ik University in Seoul.

3/ John Stanislav Sadar
John is currently pursuing his doctoral degree in architecture at the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia. Prior to that, he worked at architecture offices in Toronto, Ljubljana, and Helsinki, wrote published articles for magazines in Finland and Italy, and taught architecture design studios for the RAIC in Toronto. He earned his Master of Architecture from the University of Technology (Teknillinen Korkeakoulu) in Helsinki, and his Bachelor of Architecture from McGill University in Montréal.

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