Jagae, coffee table

Jagae, unique coffee table, 2022 by Wknd Lab
Color: Black
Size: 70.0 x 55.0 x 84.0 cm
Technique: Lacquer, Mother of pearls mosaic
Material: Wood
Heritage: Korea

The Jagae table is a unique coffee table with inlaid mother-of pearl embellishments on lacquerware furniture. Every piece of mother of pearl was cut off by a knife into designated shapes in a mosaic format. The table is designed by WKND Lab and handcrafted by a nacre master who has been doing nacre for 50 years as a collaboration.

This table was an attempt to make a contemporary piece to escape the typical style of overly decorating figurative ornaments. Furniture using jagae(mother of pearls) is considered “old generation’s furniture” in Korea. To change the misconceptions and make them approachable to younger generations, we introduced contemporary aesthetics to this piece. In addition, the Jagae table uses wood resin for its finishing, which makes it biodegradable and Eco-friendly.

Jagae table is part of the collection that implies the idea of long-term sustainability by working with masters of each field who deserves much more recognition, and incorporating modern furniture design with our traditional culture to make it more approachable. Globalization of the whole world was rapidly triggered as national borders online disappeared. The world is becoming a new mixed culture altogether. Accordingly, the longing for the traditional identity is also occurring simultaneously. However traditional craftsmanship is being replaced with fast mass-produced goods. Also, even the items in the market that claim that they are inspired by traditional methods are made similar only in appearance, and there are many cases where traditional materials are not actually used. We believe that the users have a deep thirst to re-invent forgotten materials and craftsmanship. This piece was designed in that context, to collaborate with traditional craftsmen and to rebirth the concept in a youthful way.
Najeonchilgi refers to a particular kind of Korean handicraft where various pieces of shell are inlaid on furniture or objects. Najeon means mother of pearls and Chilgi means lacquerware. The master handcrafted the pieces by cutting them with a knife in a repeated rhythmic motion to make a figure. The jagae table was intended to look like a graphic design with an abstract mosaic. This piece alone takes more than 30 steps to make, a gift of dedication and patience.
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WKND Lab, a duo designer studio founded by Eunji Jun and Halin Lee. WKND Lab’s work field varies from material research, object, to furniture design. All with material-driven narratives to tell our philosophy about relationships between design, humans, and nature.The studio pursues simple design that reflects the beautiful texture and color of the founded material.With their designed objects, they aim to introduce and deliver narratives into peoples' lifestyles, suggesting not just esthetic but also sustainable alternatives.