In search of an authentic life

Chung Young-hwan, a carpenter and furniture designer

Carpenter explains why he left art world to pursue a new dream

By Park Ji-won

Chung Young-hwan, 32, majored in art at university. But he quit his full-time painting career a few years ago to pursue his dream of becoming a carpenter.

“I thought working as a carpenter was closer to my dream in life,” Chung said in a recent interview with The Korea Times at his office in Itaewon. “I once hated labor itself, but it is worth doing. I insist on doing it for the rest of my life.”

Chung now works out of his father’s carpentry shop and is also a furniture designer with his own brand, Johann Furniture.

Chung’s father ran the shop for more than 30 years before his son joined the staff.

In 2011, Chung was a student at an art university in Korea. Then he majored in fine art at a German university, hoping to become an artist.

He chose to study in Germany because of the European country’s strong traditions in philosophy and fine art, but after some time his interests changed.

“Ironically, the more I learned about painting and the pursuit of a pure existence, the more I felt like I was divorcing myself from reality and feeling empty,” he said. “I realized living as an artist was sort of burning me out, and I was consumed by others and dying.”

To be marketable, he added, artists have to be good at what he called show business _ for example, by going abroad, or being used politically, or becoming professors where they are forced to be competitive. These were all things he didn’t want.

As time passed, Chung worked as a painter but became eager for a “real” life as a mere laborer. He wanted to live as an ordinary person and not have to deal with fierce competition every day.

“I chose to be a carpenter because I wanted to be satisfied with my life being a little bit dirty, but as I am ― a living thing without editing myself.”

Chung didn’t recklessly choose to become a carpenter. His father was a carpenter, and he wanted to learn from his father.

Unlike some high-end furniture companies, his accepts every order ― from high-grade to low-grade products.

Of course, his work includes tasks that are sometimes dirty, dangerous and dull. But, he says, “I am making a living with it.”

When asked what kind of messages he would like to deliver to customers through his products, he talked about his values.

“I am not interested in making a luxury product,” he said. “I want to make real things sincerely by using good materials and my up-to-the-present experiences.”