Jin-il Park's Drawing series

The sketches that became a furniture collection

South Korean designer Jin-il Park liked his early pencil strokes so much, he built a real life furniture series

George Lois thinks young people don't know how to use a pencil. "They don't even know how to hold one," the great American creative director told Phaidon during a recent telephone interview.

Jin-il Park's Drawing series
Jin-il Park's Drawing series

While George might be right in most cases, he couldn't level that criticism at the 25-year-old furniture designer, Jin-il Park. Park likes sketching so much the South Korean turned a set of pencil outlines into some great-looking furniture.

As the designer explains, this Drawing series began as a more conventional furniture project "I was thinking of making a new project by comfortably drawing lines," says Park. "I personally thought that the outcome of those strokes [could be made into a] very interesting object."

Jin-il Park's Drawing series
Jin-il Park's Drawing series

Park then realised the designs by hammering and welding wires of varying lengths and thicknesses together, before coating the finished work. While the collection isn't in production, you can see the full range over on Park's site. For more, go here.

Jin-il Park's Drawing series
Jin-il Park's Drawing series

Meanwhile, for greater insight into contemporary drawing, take a look at our book Vitamin D2; for more on innovative furniture making consider our forthcoming Alvar Aalto book; to discover how another artist brought drawing and metal work together, pick up a copy of our David Smith book, and for some invaluable pencil-driven insight, pick up George Lois's Damn Good Advice.