In Summer 2023 twelve students from California will travel to South Korea to learn about graphic design in Seoul.
This course is an immersive introduction to the unique graphic design culture in Seoul, South Korea. Through first-hand experience: interactions with Korean designers and design students via studio visits, lectures, and workshops; and cultural sites via historic and contemporary site visits; students will gain insight into the unique work, themes, ideas, topics, and perspective of South Korean Graphic Design. During this time we’ll learn about how topics such as feminism, global communication and exchange, economic concerns, and notions of Korean identity come together to form the design ecosystem of Seoul.
At the same time, the course aims to present alternative points of view, and expand participants' approach to graphic design. Through cultural immersion the course will destabilize the Eurocentric art-making perspective present in US-based education, and examine the impact of colonialism and conflict on design and art making.
Partnering with Seoul National University, workshops and other activities will occasionally take place on SNU's campus. During which time CCA students will have the chance to interact with Korean students, professors, and designers. And attempt to distill an image of the contemporary graphic design in South Korea.
If we can challenge our assumptions, and embrace a new approach to our practices, it will be a success!
Working closely with practicing designers in workshops, students will gain a unique insight our tutors
Hezin O
Hezin O is a graphic designer based in Seoul, South Korea. She has been running a graphic design studio OYE since 2014, working primarily in the cultural field on editorial design, exhibition identity, illustration and publishing projects. She was invited to the Designer in Residence OTIS College of Art and Design(2018, US) program, as well as an experimental workshop magical riso(Van Eyck, 2016, NL) utilizing the riso stencil printing technique. Also, she was selected by It's Nice That's Once to Watch 2020, Monthly Design's 2021 Notable Designer of the Year, etc. In addition, her works were introduced in several media such as idea magazine(JP), Design360°(CN), GRAPHIC(KR), etaps(FR), etc., and she participated in various exhibitions such as fanfare inc. Tools(2018, NL), Poster Show(Likely General, 2018, CA), Typojanchi(Culture Station Seoul 284, 2019, KR), Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism 2021(2021, KR).
Hezin O ↗
Shin Shin
Shin Shin is Shin Haeok and Shin Donghyeok, a graphic design studio based in Seoul, Korea. Haeok is interested in interweaving and threading a strand of texts, images and pages within the structure of a book. She focuses on the observed relationships in them, while Donghyeok’s interest lies in contemplating the ways of renewing the history, styles, conventions, traditions, and theory of graphic design, in the context of ‘here, now.’ They both studied at Dankook University and Haeok graduated from the Yale School of Art with an MFA in Graphic Design in 2018. They have worked together in the fields of art and culture area, collaborating in partnership with curators, editors, artists and institutions since 2008. They are continuing in parallel with self-initiated projects as well as participating in various exhibitions, while teaching at Universities and synchronizing their interest with students. In 2020, they set up their own publisher, Hwawon, as an imprint of Mediabus to focus on the performative aspect of design practice in which design methodology crystallizes into the structure and materiality of an object.
PRESS ROOM
PRESS ROOM is a graphic design and publishing studio based in Seoul founded by Yang Jieun in 2016. We deal with visual identity, promotional items, and digital & physical spaces for various fields, including culture and art. In parallel, we participate in design-related exhibitions and projects, and teach visual design students at local universities.
We published the AB series, which introduces works on visual art and artists. And we are planning and publishing books on the graphic design exhibition “Open Recent Graphic Design”. Often we conduct our own projects that can be linked to publishing.
outlook and approach. Students will visit cultural sites such as museums, bookstores, a temple, and other cultural sites to learn about Korean art and design more broadly. In addition to conducting several studio visits
After New Order
Bird Pit
Chris Ro
Datz Press
Goeun Park
Ju Hyun Kang
Kelly Moonkyung Choi
Kyuha Shim
Min Guhong Manufacturing
Minkee Bae
Moonsick Gang
ORDINARY PEOPLE
Paper Press
Rojo Type
Sarok
Sulki and Min
Youl Joe
to better understand the historical context and dynamic atmosphere that frames Graphic Design practice in Seoul, South Korea today.
This course is an immersive introduction to the unique graphic design culture in Seoul, South Korea. Through first-hand experience: interactions with Korean designers and design students via studio visits, lectures, and workshops; and cultural sites via historic and contemporary site visits; students will gain insight into the unique work, themes, ideas, topics, and perspective of South Korean Graphic Design. During this time we’ll learn about how topics such as feminism, global communication and exchange, economic concerns, and notions of Korean identity come together to form the design ecosystem of Seoul.
At the same time, the course aims to present alternative points of view, and expand participants' approach to graphic design. Through cultural immersion the course will destabilize the Eurocentric art-making perspective present in US-based education, and examine the impact of colonialism and conflict on design and art making.
Partnering with Seoul National University, workshops and other activities will occasionally take place on SNU's campus. During which time CCA students will have the chance to interact with Korean students, professors, and designers. And attempt to distill an image of the contemporary graphic design in South Korea.
If we can challenge our assumptions, and embrace a new approach to our practices, it will be a success!
Hezin O
Hezin O is a graphic designer based in Seoul, South Korea. She has been running a graphic design studio OYE since 2014, working primarily in the cultural field on editorial design, exhibition identity, illustration and publishing projects. She was invited to the Designer in Residence OTIS College of Art and Design(2018, US) program, as well as an experimental workshop magical riso(Van Eyck, 2016, NL) utilizing the riso stencil printing technique. Also, she was selected by It's Nice That's Once to Watch 2020, Monthly Design's 2021 Notable Designer of the Year, etc. In addition, her works were introduced in several media such as idea magazine(JP), Design360°(CN), GRAPHIC(KR), etaps(FR), etc., and she participated in various exhibitions such as fanfare inc. Tools(2018, NL), Poster Show(Likely General, 2018, CA), Typojanchi(Culture Station Seoul 284, 2019, KR), Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism 2021(2021, KR).
Hezin O ↗
Shin Shin
Shin Shin is Shin Haeok and Shin Donghyeok, a graphic design studio based in Seoul, Korea. Haeok is interested in interweaving and threading a strand of texts, images and pages within the structure of a book. She focuses on the observed relationships in them, while Donghyeok’s interest lies in contemplating the ways of renewing the history, styles, conventions, traditions, and theory of graphic design, in the context of ‘here, now.’ They both studied at Dankook University and Haeok graduated from the Yale School of Art with an MFA in Graphic Design in 2018. They have worked together in the fields of art and culture area, collaborating in partnership with curators, editors, artists and institutions since 2008. They are continuing in parallel with self-initiated projects as well as participating in various exhibitions, while teaching at Universities and synchronizing their interest with students. In 2020, they set up their own publisher, Hwawon, as an imprint of Mediabus to focus on the performative aspect of design practice in which design methodology crystallizes into the structure and materiality of an object.
PRESS ROOM
PRESS ROOM is a graphic design and publishing studio based in Seoul founded by Yang Jieun in 2016. We deal with visual identity, promotional items, and digital & physical spaces for various fields, including culture and art. In parallel, we participate in design-related exhibitions and projects, and teach visual design students at local universities.
We published the AB series, which introduces works on visual art and artists. And we are planning and publishing books on the graphic design exhibition “Open Recent Graphic Design”. Often we conduct our own projects that can be linked to publishing.