The architect and designer exploring Korean craft and heritage through different mediums, including skincare

Teo Yang wears many hats. He is not only a lauded architect, interior and product designer; the talented creative is also the co-founder of popular South Korean skincare brand EATH Library. Its products may appear to have nothing to do with the building and design industry but in fact, they are grounded in the same philosophy that Yang practices – that of harnessing the efficacy and essence of South Korean heritage and reinterpreting them for a modern audience.

“Skincare was a great tool for me to introduce Korean medicine to the younger generation. One of the most important artefacts of Korea that it is losing is Korean medicine. Korean medicine deals a lot with how we treat ourselves, the kinds of herbs used and the kinds of things we eat to keep us healthy,” said Yang, who was in Singapore to give a talk at design and interior trade fair FIND: Design Fair Asia, last September.

EATH stands for ‘Effective Achievement Through Traditional Heritage’. “It’s not only about the medicine, but also the farming, the respect for the [farmers], which I want to keep alive for the younger generation,” Yang commented.

In fact, EATH Library was birthed from a personal event. Some years back, Yang was suffering from mild health issues that resulted in insomnia. After trying many remedies that did not work, he visited Dr Jang Dong-hoon, a leading South Korean dermatologist.

Jang’s prescription of a special tea formula not only cured Yang of sleeplessness in six months but also did wonders to his skin. Hence, he partnered with the doctor to launch EATH Library in 2018, producing serums and creams that use ingredients such as goji berry, sage oil and Chinese asparagus root (or asparagus cochinchinensis) commonly found in traditional medicine that is anti-asthma, anti-inflammatory and gut health-promoting, among other health benefits.

Since starting his eponymous studio in 2009, Yang has created many beautiful office interiors, museums, spas, restaurants and luxury homes that eschew glossiness for understated elegance, anchored by the use of natural materials, artisanal techniques and the rigorous study of Korean traditional craft.

His work is widely admired and has been published in two Phaidon publications. Yang was also highlighted in 2022 by AD100 – a venerated list of creatives by the publication Architectural Digest. He is also helping Seoul’s tourism board with branding the city.

Some notable projects include the renovation of the original 1987-built Kukje Gallery, where custom-designed walnut timber furniture, timber-lined ceilings and walls, and minimal cream interiors provide a meditative backdrop for artworks by Louise Bourgeois and Haegue Yang.

In the redesign of Gyeongju National Museum’s Silla History Gallery and lobby area, slim bamboo guards around exhibits replace sterile metal or rope barriers. Yang has also designed elaborate wallpapers for French luxury wallpaper and fabric brand de Gournay that adapts Joseon-era still life paintings.

“Craft is an accumulation of knowledge and lifestyle that has been developed over hundreds of years. I think a lot of what makes a craft unique is the use of a culture’s own materials from their own lands. I find beauty in all craft – not just Japanese, Chinese or Southeast Asian or Korean, which has developed unique ways of using our own materials that can withstand our weather, for example. Korean aesthetic also tends to erase decorativeness, erase the unnecessary things, and use a lot of ceramics,” Yang said.

In a recent collaboration with Blue Bottle Coffee in Myeongdong, Seoul, Yang abstracted the motif of a habitat into a ‘blue house’ by inserting a blue metal ‘box’ into the space. It was inspired by the Korean traditional architectural concept of ‘jukyung’ that invites one to appreciate one’s house – both internally and externally – as a scenic focus. Local artisans Deok-ho Kim and In-hwa Lee made the nameplate and logo signage with blue pigment – an art technique with a regular presence in Korean art.

“It’s very different from traditional Korean architecture. We used contemporary materials to convey old philosophies. I think that was a good project that we got a lot of media exposure for. We are now working on a second project with Blue Bottle Coffee in Korea, so I guess that was successful,” Yang mused.

On how he translates South Korean heritage to the design of spaces, Yang reflected: “I think that there are a lot of different ways to do that. For example, creating a particular atmosphere, and using certain colours and interesting materials or creating a different seating arrangement or lighting. All the details in a space can talk about what we had in the past.”

He cited an example: “In traditional Korean architecture, we would have light bounce off the gravel on the ground into the interiors. In my studio, we use a lot of indirect light to emulate this. We also use a lot of silk and wood – materials that were used in traditional Korean architecture.”

Yang’s studio and home are two restored 1917-built hanoks (traditional Korean house). They are perfect mediums for exhibiting his distinct flair of combining old and new. The original architecture, built from stone, tile and wood deployed traditional building techniques, and are palimpsests of Korean and international architecture and design, layered with Yang’s tasteful selection of art, furniture and furnishings. Ancient earthenware from Korea’s Three Kingdoms Period sits peacefully – but also provokingly – alongside modern touches such as Korean painter Choi Myoung Young’s minimal artwork.

Interestingly, Yang’s preoccupation with traditional Korean culture was only seeded when he was abroad. At age 19, he left South Korea to study at The Art Institute of Chicago, and then Environmental Design at ArtCenter, College of Design in Pasadena. Interning for Marcel Wanders who founded the eclectic furniture brand Moooi, he was inspired by how the Dutch design maestro looked to his own culture for inspiration.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Yang embarked on a new project, a furniture brand called Eastern Edition. There are now four showrooms – two in Seoul, one in Paris and a fourth that just opened in Los Angeles. The brand is but another avenue for him to “convey the beauty of Korean tradition and share the materials and craft techniques to other audiences.”

Each piece of furniture embodies a narrative. There is a lamp whose timber body is a salvaged column from hanoks with standard Joseon-era proportions, as well as two tiered cabinetry – one juxtaposing wood and metal, and another wood and glass – that are evolutions of Joseon-era shelving.

The Cushion stool is another piece that appropriates elements of Korean traditional culture. Yang explained: “We used to sit on cushions on the floor; we did not have chairs. So cushions are symbols of hospitality and welcome. By adding legs to cushions, we are able to shift the floor-sitting system to a chair-sitting system but we are keeping the narrative and spirit of hospitality.”

For him, delving into these multifarious arms of design and branding do not only create varied avenues for design, it is also sensible. “I think in order to sustain your designs, it has to become a business. You have to create your own eco system in order to design.”Yang’s “eco system” includes Sinang – a home aromatics and perfume brand. For the launch of the Blue Bottle shop, Sinang introduced a bespoke hand exfoliant and lotion made from recycled coffee grinds from Blue Bottle’ Hayes Valley Expresso and orange peel oil, which is sold at the store.

Yang is widely sought after by esteemed brands for collaborations. These include Samsung, Fendi and Vacheron Constantin. In 2023, he created unique pieces with craftsmen for an exhibition organised by Yeol Foundation in collaboration with Chanel to support local traditional crafts titled ‘Woobomanri: An Enduring Walk Toward Purity’ in northern Seoul.

Yang will also head Seoul Beauty Week for the second consecutive year, placing an emphasis on inner beauty and wellness beauty rather than cosmetic surgery and skincare. On a regular basis, Yang consults for international cosmetic brands like SK-II and LG Cosmetics.

K-pop and K-drama are successful exports of the Korean culture but that is not all there is to South Korea. Yang agreed: “Now people are really into K-food as well. Clothing and housing are also fundamental to how people live and we are exploring those in different ways. Hopefully, people will have more interest in Korean designs as well.”