Soft accessories have dominated homes and Instagram feeds since the 1970s design revival began roughly two years ago.
Vogue named inflatable furniture “2021’s most delicious home trend” last May, while the New York Times compared the pervasiveness of plush sofas, chairs and ottomans to the pandemic-induced sweatpants craze of 2020.
A 1970s velvet armchair by Tobia and Afra Scarpa — “the Soriana” — can cost up to £6,461, while a perfectly rendered donut pouf by New Zealand designer Sabine Marcelis costs €1,599. 8.9 thousand).
But while Scarpa and Marcelis’ creations encourage a smooth, sinking seating experience, there’s one designer turning the bubble trend upside down.
South Korean artist Seungjin Yang makes colorful chairs and benches with a different twist — his pieces are made from real inflatable balloons.
Since graduating in 2013 from Hongik University in Seoul, Yang’s main design endeavor has been making sturdy, structurally sound furniture from rubber party favors.
Each furniture takes about two weeks to create, and Yang says they “can’t be blown” thanks to a special epoxy resin coating. “My work is brilliant when it’s done,” Yang told CNN by email. “Some people think that (the finished product) will not be hard, but it is hard.”
Balloons are inflated and then molded into various shapes to form each part of the design. For example, a stool has 3 “legs” and a longer balloon is made in a spiral shape for the seat.
The colored resin is applied in layers; with more layers needed to make the delicate material strong enough to bear weight. Once all the elements are dry and solid, the furniture is assembled and dipped in the resin one last time.
The artist’s impressive portfolio — which at first glance looks like the result of a child’s birthday party — has caught the attention of design aficionados, and has had works exhibited at numerous design and craft festivals.
In 2021, Dior commissioned Yang to reinterpret the fashion house’s iconic medallion chair for Milan Design Week, alongside 16 other artists and designers. “To me, adults can still play like children,” he said in a video promoting the event.
The artist currently plans to exhibit at Design Miami in November and hopes to hold a solo show in New York early next year. He’s also looking to push the boundaries of balloon design even further with larger pieces, like making a sofa for two.
Source: CNN Brasil
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