Five Minutes with DesignK
"We caught up with London-based designer Byung Kim, also known as DesignK, to talk Craft Central's Made In Clerkenwell, local design and of course, all things tea.
When did you realise you were destined to be a designer?
When I got my first job at an industrial design agency. The company launched a product, which I worked on and everything stemmed from there.
Your work is inspired by the Bauhaus movement and geometric forms, tell us a little about it...
I am a big fan of the Bauhaus movement and am fascinated by its vision of products, graphics, architecture, fashion etc. A few years ago I was in Dessau in Germany at the Bauhaus University, which is now a museum dedicated to the movement. It really inspired me and now I have so many new ideas for designs, not only based on the forms or shapes of Bauhaus but also the materials, textures and colours.
Talk us through your creative process...
My initial designs are created spontaneously in many different situations, for example I may be on the train or walking down the street. Normally an initial thought sparks ideas, which I consider for a while before convincing myself to make a prototype.
How do you take your tea and what's your favourite blend?
I like a mild English Breakfast tea without milk.
When it comes to art and design, which exhibitions, open studios or events would you recommend?
Made In Clerkenwell, this winter, of course. I would also recommend museums of any kind. Art, design, history... Wherever you go, they're full of unlikely inspiration.
Finally, where can we find you at Craft Central's Made in Clerkenwell?
Come along and visit me in my open studio at unit 310, 21 Clerkenwell Green. I'll be there from Thursday 24th to Saturday 26th November. If you come on Sunday I'll be gone, so drop by before then to see my work up close. Enter the Craft Central competition to win a limited edition tea set by DesignK and a two month supply of tea."
