Jihye Kang’s Purity Series Questions The Perceived Simplicity Of Materials

Known for its durability and clarity, acrylic is a versatile material encountered in almost every facet of daily life. For the designer, it also serves as the primary source of inspiration for this unique series. In particular, Kang was intrigued by the material’s unique properties of reflection and refraction and the dual functionality this displays: simultaneously revealing and obscuring. The pieces, featuring side tables and stools, and partitions, are formed of thick, cylindrical acrylic rods, uniformly arranged atop a precision-cut rectangular stainless steel base—a purposeful contrast to the acrylic in both texture and presence. Kang’s pieces highlight the transparent properties of the acrylic, creating a warped, visual distortion of the steel beneath that continually alters depending on the direction from which they are seen. This pairing of materials forms an absorbing visual dynamic—the acrylic variable and tactile next to its geometric, industrial counterpart.