The Department of Ceramic Art in the College of Fine Arts at Kookmin University (President Jeong Seung Ryul) participated in the “Young Designers Special Pavilion” at the “DDP Design Fair”—a key program of “2026 Seoul Design Week”—for five days from Wednesday, October 14, to Sunday, October 18, showcasing new possibilities for connecting ceramic art with the contemporary design industry.
 
The Young Designers Special Pavilion is a program where universities and companies collaborate to develop creative ideas into actual products and content. The Department of Ceramic Arts’ participation in this pavilion—which has traditionally been operated primarily by design departments—is particularly significant.
 
For this exhibition, Kookmin University’s Department of Ceramic Arts collaborated with the artisan bakery brand “UNAS” to reinterpret the brand’s signature product, the “Happy Bear Cake,” as a ceramic collection. Organized under the theme “Happiness Keeper Atelier,” the exhibition demonstrated new possibilities for the convergence of craftsmanship and the modern design industry by combining the brand’s emotional values with the sculptural characteristics of ceramic art.
 
Notably, this project was led by sophomore undergraduates who had completed the “Eureka Project”—a TEAM-certified course—and was completed with the participation of graduate students and faculty members. By collaborating with an actual company and experiencing the entire process—from idea generation to design development and production—the students developed both their academic expertise and practical skills.
 
Kookmin University’s Department of Ceramic Arts aims to provide a convergent education that bridges materials, technology, design, and industry, building upon traditional ceramic sculpture and production techniques. Through a variety of courses—including the “Eureka Project,” “AI Ceramic Design Literacy,” “Craft UX Design,” and the “TEAM-PBL Ceramics Studio Project”—the department cultivates talent equipped with creative problem-solving skills and industry-relevant competencies.
 
Professor Ahn Jung Hyun of the Department of Ceramic Arts, who supervised the project, stated, “This was a meaningful opportunity for students to collaborate with actual brands, develop their ideas into tangible outcomes, and directly experience how expertise in ceramic arts can be applied in the industrial field.” He added, “I hope they will discover new possibilities for craftsmanship and take on challenges in various fields based on this experience.”
 
Meanwhile, as it marks its 80th anniversary, Kookmin University is preparing for a new leap toward the next 100 years under the vision of “A University Setting the Standard for Higher Education” and the slogan “Make the Rule, Break the Rule.” To this end, the university has established “KMU VISION 2035: EDGE,” a mid- to long-term development strategy, and selected eight specialized fields to intensively strengthen the university’s competitiveness. To achieve results in the “Design & Content” sector—one of these eight areas—Kookmin University’s Department of Ceramic Arts plans to continue striving to cultivate creative, interdisciplinary talent capable of leading the future design industry through collaboration with industry partners and practice-oriented education.

<Panoramic View of the Exhibition Booth>

 <The Production Process at Gamasil>