Our Manifesto

of Waste, by Design, for Environment, and Community

As a high school student in Jeju, a rural island in South Korea, I was confronted with the degeneration both of the environment and human communities. In my search for root causes of this crisis, I encountered the central environmental problem of waste. In my search for solutions, I came across the concept of “circular economy” and “upcycling.” To test their viability, I decided to transform waste material into artworks and design products. To extend the process into community regeneration, I decided to install the artworks across an aging village to attract tourists. Profits from the design products would also be reinvested into village infrastructure.