Copyright © 2025 Motivate Media Group. All rights reserved.
Instead of using plastic and traditional foam for the upholstery, Kee used natural rubber and coconut fibres
Like many other furniture brands in recent years, Hem regularly invites international designers to collaborate and create unique pieces that speak to its customers. This is the first time, however, that the Stockholm-based company has called on Kwangho Lee, who currently lives and works in Seoul.
“Kwangho is constantly at work and relevant, fully relying on his instincts and curiosity,” says Hem founder and CEO Petrus Palmér. “For us, any new design that gets brought to the world needs to have a unique voice and story, and to resonate deeply with the audience.”
It is no coincidence that the South Korean designer appeared to be the perfect match for the brand. “Kwangho stands out as a highly original designer and artist, someone who is motivated by creativity and craft, who draws – in a seemingly frictionless way – from ancient craft references to pop art. He applies his craft and creativity to fashion, sculpture, interior design and now industrial design.”
Having always loved hand-making things, Lee – who studied metal art and design – has his very own way of looking at everyday objects, which helps him develop new functions and meaning through his work. In 2009, at only 28 years old, Lee introduced his Obsession series that revealed how rope – through knotting techniques – could be used to shape furniture. These fascinating pieces were the starting point of the designer’s new creative adventure with Hem, which has resulted in the recently launched bold Hunk chair.
“Working with Hem for the mass market was like any other commission at the outset, but the fact that it targeted a [larger] variety of users and collectors was pretty exciting,” confesses Lee. “[This collaboration] required a slightly different way of using my time. It was a great experience because I could learn a new side of manufacturing… Shape, material, colour – all of these basic but essential elements were discussed together.”
Ideal either for a home environment or hospitality and office spaces, the Hunk chair – available in Swan, Chocolate and Icicle colours, as well as with or without oversized armrests – was almost entirely influenced by natural materials. Instead of using plastic and traditional furniture foam for the upholstery, natural rubber and coconut fibres were employed.
In addition to this piece, Lee and Hem also worked on the collection of Glyph tables, which, depending on how they are positioned – upright or on their side – can have multiple functions, including that of a side table, nightstand or hall console. Inspired by hieroglyphics, this series is an ode to Lee’s work, with metal crafting applied to sturdy sheet steel covered in a powder-coat finish of green, yellow, chocolate brown and grey-white.
While Lee’s work is part of the collections of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, these new pieces with Hem give us an opportunity to get closer to his creative world.
In a landmark Bud Oglesby-designed building, designer Joshua Rice crafts a warm, quietly powerful residence that honors modernist roots, personal history, and a young collector’s nuanced eye
This apartment designed by Carl Gerges features green hues throughout
BLINK Design Group has drawn deeply from the well of ancient Lingnan culture to craft a design narrative that’s rooted in tradition yet thoroughly modern at Banyan Tree Dongguan Songshan Lake in China
Tomorrowland, the world-renowned music festival, has collaborated with designer Dieter Vander Velpen and Ethnicraft through its architecture and design studio, Great Library Studio, to create a contemporary Art Nouveau furniture collection
Giorgio Armani and RAK Properties launch the first Armani-branded villas in the world
Here are the current and upcoming design-led museums in the UAE that you should know about
Villeroy & Boch and Ideal Standard unveil a fresh perspective on bathroom design for 2025
Access our submissions link, criteria, deadlines, and checklist here.
Soft pastels, natural materials and artistic craftmanship take centre stage at Villa Miraé
Here are the bold and statement pieces that caught our eye this month
Tucked away in the Andalusian countryside near Gaucín, a small town located between Marbella and Gibraltar, Cortijo Genesis in Spain has recently been renovated by Victoria-Maria Geyer
Interior designer Juliette Spencer of Atelier RO revives a storied pre-war apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side with an elegant fusion of New York structure and French soul.