BLUE CORAL VASE was created for Two Ethos 2.0, a joint project between IED – Istituto Europeo di Design, Department of Fashion Design of the Milan, Florence and Como “Accademia Galli” campuses and KNUCH, Korean National University of Cultural Heritage, under the patronage of the South Korean Consulate in Milan, and the Italian Embassy in Seoul.

Incorporating four discs of traditional Korean fabric – produced by weaving masters with traditional processing methods, recognised by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage – BLUE CORAL VASE is a tribute to Jeju Haenyeo, female divers in the Korean province of Jeju.

The mother-of-pearl iridescence of the fabric reminds of the inner shell of abalone whilst the deep shade of blue is a reference to the deep sea environment where Jeju haenyeo dive for up to seven hours a day without the help of oxygen masks. Their unique verbal sound upon resurfacing is represented on this vase by four imaginary deep-sea languages written in platinum around the discs of fabric.