Dokkaebi Stool Art Furniture

Jiyoun Kim crafted 24 ‘Dokkaebi stools’ as part of an artistic installation to feature in the Hangang Art Park in Seoul, South Korea.

The park, launched by the government body of Seoul, intends to introduce art to the recreational parks near the Han River. The theme for this project was 'Suim', which translates to ‘resting’ in English.

‘Dokkaebi’ is an imaginary monster frequently mentioned in traditional Korean folklore, much like a troll in European tales. Dokkaebi, however, is seen as a divine spirit that rewards people who partake in good deeds and punishes those who do the opposite.

Kim’s Dokkaebi Stool installation is located in a pine tree forest where many Korean folk tales take place. The stools are made of cylindrical stainless steel that have been delicately mirror polished. Eight different gradient colors, representing the colors of pine tree forest in different seasons, were painted on the upper part of each cylinder. Just like Dokkaebi, the 24 stools are designed to naturally blend into their surroundings. They will also be repainted throughout the year in accordance with the colors of the grass and trees as the seasons change.