PATTERN

Chang Eungbok is widely recognized for her unique creative style. Drawing on ten years of her visual observations of nature, Chang has extracted “colors” from nature to create a variety of palettes, then paired them with patterns — “motifs” imbued with meaning and symbolism. They are also organized according to the traditional calendar of 24 annual lunisolar terms, which are each further sub-divided into three distinct periods, forming 72 categories in total.

The final section, “Nature Color Palettes”, presents Chang’s complete palettes from 1 through 100. Of these, 72 palettes appear throughout the book, with page numbers marked to serve as an index.

As Chang explains, this book is a valuable resource for students and researchers in the field of design because it “systematically charts the rhythms and patterns of nature”. For modern readers who may have lost touch with their sense of the aesthetic, Chang says the book also offers “a way to look deeply at nature as the measure of beauty,” thereby helping to rediscover the authentic roots of design.

Chang Eungbok was born in Seoul and until about twenty years ago spent much of her time working in the center of the city. Her body and mind were worn down by the hustle and bustle of urban life and she eventually turned toward nature. As she gradually moved her residence to the outskirts and then the countryside, “life began to change at a slower pace”, she recalled. Instead of using a car, she walked slowly. Learning about the life of farmers, who are still particularly attuned to the 24 lunisolar terms, she touched the soil with her own hands. With her entire being, she sought to embrace the changing light of each season, the life force of the universe. It was inevitable that she would encounter the forms of nature she had previously overlooked and feel a sense of wonder. “Whenever I discovered nature, I took photographs—whether on my morning walks or while traveling.” The “Nature Color Palettes” she created based on these records are the product of the “innate beauty” that Chang unearthed from her explorations of nature. Each lunisolar period cover page features a photograph by Yul Kim, a longtime collaborator with Chang. The interplay between these beautiful photographs of nature and Chang’s color and pattern work creates a balanced harmony that defines the book’s mood. The colors and patterns gathered here are arranged and woven into what Chang calls “light paintings.”

The 24 lunisolar terms and Chang Eungbok's work as a designer are organically connected because the terms represent “nature’s rhythm.” The regular and repetitive rhythms of nature align with the structure of the pattern work she has long pursued. Chang has understood and expressed through her work both the pleasure that form provides and the joy of breaking free from form: “I grant as much freedom as possible within a fixed form. This is more captivating than boundless freedom.”

Over the years, the materials Chang uses in her work have extended beyond what we commonly think of as textiles—clothing, bedding, and accessories—gradually expanding into various areas of our lives, including lighting, furniture, and interior decorations for walls and ceilings. Through her efforts to connect nature's rhythms and patterns to our daily lives, Chang has sought to practice design that allows us to live more naturally. She hopes to enrich our contemporary lives and bring to them positive energy. This book stands as the culmination of Chang’s persistent explorations and devoted practice over the years. Woven together with works reflecting such aspirations, it can itself be seen as an auspicious object filled with good fortune.