We are often drawn to the simplest things, especially when they bring back childhood memories. Few objects do that quite like a balloon, and that sense of childhood wonder lies at the heart of Korean artist Seungjin Yang’s ‘Blowing Series’. Early in his design journey, he found himself drawn to this object, one that's made to be held for a moment, then let go.
While studying BA in metal art and design at Hongik University in Seoul, Yang decided to also take a furniture class. He continued working with metal until he graduated, but soon began experimenting with epoxy resin, which allowed him to give lasting form to a balloon’s fleeting shape.
'The first balloon was an inexpensive one from an office-supply shop in Korea,' he shares. 'I was experimenting with ways to coat balloons in epoxy resin and initially used the balloons to make lights. As I made them stronger, I began to wonder whether people could sit on them. I liked the contrast between the balloon’s apparent fragility and the solidity of the resin.'
From those first experiments grew an ongoing series of stools, chairs, armchairs, benches and children’s furniture in vivid colours and playful forms. 'The balloons have a very special meaning for me,' adds Yang. 'As a child, I loved making things with Lego, paper and other materials. My work follows a similar process of bringing many small parts together. Making these pieces brings back the excitement I felt when creating things as a child.'
Making these pieces brings back the excitement I felt when creating things as a child
Yang has built upon that initial experiment: he begins by inflating the balloons and coats them in successive layers of resin. Each layer strengthens the shell and more coats build colour and sheen as he joins the forms into a stable whole. It is painstaking work. 'It usually takes me around two weeks to make one piece,' Yang adds. 'When developing a new design, though, I don’t set a deadline. I let the ideas take shape naturally.'
When observed together, his collection has all the exuberance of a party shop. Look closer, though, and the care behind each seemingly spontaneous shape comes into focus and reveals how meticulous and well-thought each piece is.
A sense of joy and surprise has followed Yang’s work from exhibitions at Seoul’s Kumho Museum, Dongdaemun Design Plaza and Seoul Museum of Art, to international projects including the XXI Triennale di Milano and Design Days Dubai. The first time he presented his work was at the Seoul Design Festival in 2013, 'where many people were initially afraid to sit on the pieces,' he confesses. 'Some wondered if it was glass. But once they sat down, they felt safe. Some even said the chairs were much more comfortable than they had expected!'
Returning to PAD London is particularly exciting for Yang, who will present a sofa, two armchairs and two stools this year. The forms will be familiar to those who know his work, but he hopes their new colour combinations will delight visitors. As for his upcoming projects, 'I’d like to explore other materials and types of work, but the balloon series will always hold a special place in my heart,' he shares, 'I’ll keep developing it alongside my other work for as long as I enjoy the process. I still feel there’s more to discover, and I want to see where it takes me.'
Seungjin Yang is at Gallery LVS & Craft, Booth B22, PAD London, 13 to 18 October 2026 at Berkeley Square
