Seok-hyeon Yoon

Department: Man and Well being
Website: www.yoonseokhyeon.com

Ott / Another paradigmatic ceramic

What: A system for recycling ceramic objects using Ott, a traditional lacquering material made from wood resin in Korea.

Why: Glazed ceramics are not recyclable and mostly end up in landfill, resulting in environmental pollution and wasting materials. The glassy and toxic ingredients in glazing complicate the reuse of discarded ceramic objects. Seok-hyeon searched for an alternative method of glazing and discovered Ott.

How: Ott was once widely used in Korea as glazing for woodenware. To glaze it onto ceramic surfaces, Ott doesn’t need to be baked, and it evaporates at high temperatures in kilns, so we can get pure earth again. Seok-hyeon Yoon used it to create fully recyclable ceramic tableware, the products most frequently discarded by people.

“Ott makes ceramics fully recyclable”