I'll be your mirror – Sanghyeok Lee

Listening to the same-titled song made me think about the reflection. It is not only about the poetic lyrics but also literally, about the mirror. The concept of the mirror is contradictory. It either reflects you or reflects others in mind. It is practical yet poetic. A mirror is traditionally was hanged for being closer or hand-held to be chosen. I want to make the mirror stands alone as practical purposes and make it another personality to reflect surroundings as well. I bent the polished stainless steel plate and connected two plates with the brass pin. It is almost like wearing jewelry. Single bend of stainless steel makes five different variations alive in your space.

Often, minimalism as a concept is about juxtaposition and not just the design itself. The concept also signifies an existing meaning of saving space and living efficiently, but its implication is beyond that. Sometimes, minimalism is being able to immerse the design into a vast space and refer to the context as a luxury to marvel a single object.

For Lee, a multidisciplinary designer based in South Korea, his interpretation of a mirror shifts the power of the spectator to the object itself. By manipulating the common form of an ordinary mirror with a single bend—resulting in I’ll Be Your Mirror, and creating a locking mechanism to offer 5 varied combinations of configuration, Sanghyeok is able to give power to the designed piece itself. Interestingly, the conversation between the viewer and the mirror becomes more dynamic, rather than the usual one-way monologue of the viewer and his or her reflection. The mirror now is the commander and the spectator now is the audience.

Another intriguing aspect to the design is its dependency on one another, or the two sheets of metal on a simple brass lock. The unconscious act of relying on oneself mimics human’s narcissism with appearances and aesthetics. I’ll Be Your Mirror breaks the stigmatic view on regular household objects and their respective functions.

Rather than seeing I'll be your mirror as a reinterpreted form of mirrors, one should see it as a critical work of art. With just a fold in form, Sanghyeok Lee has successfully shifted the spotlight to the object and created a new dialogue surrounding the design itself—a truly minimal design.

Words - Naht Vo