Life With: Seungji Mun
Life With: Seungji Mun
To Seungji Mun, founder of creative design studio “MUN”, objects are a way of life. From his Economical Chair that’s designed to minimize waste, the design enables production of 4 chairs on a standard plywood board, with no material lost in production, to his natural interest in clothing that can stand the test of time. We sat down with the designer who splits his time between Seoul and Copenhagen, working from the philosophy that “a designer is a story and with his products, new stories are created”.
ANOTHER ASPECT:
How did you arrive at furniture design? If you weren’t working in furniture, what do you think you would be working in?
SEUNGJI MUN:
I was born in a small island called Jeju in South Korea and had always wanted to do something creative in big cities; a big city in my youth being Seoul. After I moved there about ten years ago, I started working part-time at a local furniture workshop and ended up finding myself enjoying the making of furniture. It was a significant moment that allowed for me to discover what I should do and create.
ANOTHER ASPECT:
What other art forms do you find inspiration in?
SEUNGJI MUN:
I get inspiration from everywhere: nature, objects or some different fauna and flora that I find in various places yet I particularly aim to focus on daily life. I enjoy playing around with a variety of daily keywords in my head, blending them into a sentence; a sentence that normally ends up becoming a key idea in the given project. Because of this simple little process of playing with words, my everyday life and experiences become my source of inspiration.
Like everyone else, I can get bored with my routines at times. That’s when I want to reshuffle things, throwing myself into completely new surroundings, environments and place, be it through travelling, going for a walk or even digging deep into a completely new study or category such as astronomy.
ANOTHER ASPECT:
What do you see as the future of furniture design?
SEUNGJI MUN:
I think furniture design has a strong possibility to evolve into something akin to the fashion industry. They already have common references points, both being industries that were symbols of wealth in human history with furniture being noble elements palaces and fashion with its haute couture. But these days, everyone can enjoy furniture and fashion on a daily basis and I believe that people would love to develop and articulate their personal sensibilities into the chair that they have in their home or the shirt that they wear to a dinner. I believe that we will see a higher degree of diversification within furniture design that takes its outspring in the personalities of their maker.
ANOTHER ASPECT:
Clothing seems like a natural interest for you. When did you first become interested in them?
SEUNGJI MUN:
I’ve been interested in clothing ever since I started studying furniture design. I quite often find myself working in tough places such as a factory, so I started searching for clothing that was at once beautiful and practical. Clothes that are beautiful and long-lasting make me comfortable in any circumstances and also make me more confident.
ANOTHER ASPECT:
Relatedly, do you see a growing interest in interiors and design, as ancillary fields, such as clothing, become increasingly more democratic?
SEUNGJI MUN:
I think that the furniture and living industry is becoming more relevant to more and more people. You see people in Korea, Japan and China putting a great amount of work into decorating their homes, being aware of the elements that they surround themselves with. People have become more considerate about, and caring for, good design.
ANOTHER ASPECT:
If you could only create one type of furniture for the rest of your career, what would it be and why?
SEUNGJI MUN:
Environmentally-friendly furniture. Considering the environment and mother Earth is the most important homework for all of mankind. I would love to think more about nature in my work, striving to fuse my concerns for our planets more into my work.
Mun wears ANOTHER Shirt 2.1, Natural (see more), ANOTHER Cardigan 1.0, Dark Caramel (see more) & ANOTHER Pants 1.0, Artichoke Green (see more).
ANOTHER ASPECT:
Tell us about a favorite piece of yours?
SEUNGJI MUN:
I’ll do two: The Four Brothers and Economical Chair. As a designer, those two collections are the projects that make me able to think about the environment; how an international plate board can be produced into four chairs without any waste.
ANOTHER ASPECT:
What are some tips for buying furniture?
SEUNGJI MUN:
Consider the originality of the brand and designer. Understand your home and its spatial composition.
Mun wears ANOTHER Overshirt 1.0, Incense/Canteen (see more) & ANOTHER Pants 1.0, Artichoke Green (see more).
