Ott / Another paradigmatic ceramic
DESIGN: Seok Hyeon Yoon
South Korea
make me! 2020
2nd Paradyż Award 20.000 PLN funded by Ceramika Paradyż
Glazed ceramic pieces are not recyclable for their re-production and they mostly end up in a landfill. In this process, various ground pollutants are caused by chemical and toxic particles resulting from some glazings. “It’s a shame that clay, one of the most natural materials, is treated in this way” says Seok-hyeon Yoon. Technically, the clay itself is reusable as chamotte, powder of baked clay. Glassy ingredients of glazing complicate ceramic recycling. Because when they are baked as one, they fuse together. Then the earth is not pure anymore. He thought if he can get pure earth again from recycling systems such as those of glass and plastic, the earth might be reused through re-production. So he searched for alternative glazings and found out “Ott” known as Korean traditional lacquering material. It’s a natural resin from the Ott tree and was widely used as glazing for woodenware in the past. To glaze Ott on the ceramic surface, it doesn’t need to be baked as it just dries out.
Seok-hyeon Yoon discovered an interesting fact that it evaporates when it’s heated with the high temperature in kilns. This means that we recover pure ceramic material that we can reuse. This project aims for actualizing ceramic recycling for its re-production through introducing potentials of alternative glazing Ott by applying it on domestic ceramic objects to experiment with its practicalities and aesthetics.
![](https://lodzdesign.com/app/uploads/2023/02/LDF2020-make-me-Seok-hyeon-Yoon-Studio-Yoon-Seok-hyeon-Ott-Another-paradigmatic-ceramic-1.png)
Ott / Another paradigmatic ceramic, design: Seok Hyeon Yoon / from designer’s archive
![](https://lodzdesign.com/app/uploads/2023/02/LDF2020-make-me-Seok-hyeon-Yoon-Studio-Yoon-Seok-hyeon-Ott-Another-paradigmatic-ceramic-3.png)
Ott / Another paradigmatic ceramic, design: Seok Hyeon Yoon / from designer’s archive
![](https://lodzdesign.com/app/uploads/2023/02/LDF2020-make-me-Seok-hyeon-Yoon-Studio-Yoon-Seok-hyeon-Ott-Another-paradigmatic-ceramic-4.png)
Ott / Another paradigmatic ceramic, design: Seok Hyeon Yoon / from designer’s archive
![](https://lodzdesign.com/app/uploads/2023/02/LDF2020-make-me-Seok-hyeon-Yoon-Studio-Yoon-Seok-hyeon-Ott-Another-paradigmatic-ceramic.png)
Ott / Another paradigmatic ceramic, design: Seok Hyeon Yoon / from designer’s archive
Seok Hyeon Yoon
I enjoy revaluing materials and objects which are always around us. Surroundings of everyday life often become a starting point for my design projects. To support and enhance our lives, I observe and analyze them and then try to link them to design, environment, society, and industry. My design process follows concept arrangement based on exploring a subject, indepth research for materiality and sociocultural contexts, hands-on practice such as drawing and model making and production.
DESIGNER’S PORTFOLIO![](https://lodzdesign.com/app/uploads/2023/03/LDF2020-make-me-Ott-Seok-Hyeon-Yoon.png)