Did you know that potatoes don’t sprout if you keep them with apples? That root vegetables stay fresh when they’re stored vertically? Or that a zucchini likes nothing more than a nice humid environment? For Korean designer Jihyun Ryou, this knowledge and more has been lost in an isolated society that’s all but abandoned the art of oral tradition. Used to depending solely on refrigeration for perishable food preservation, we’re a generation without access to the food-storing wisdom of previous generations. Jihyun is keen to redress the balance.

Concerned about our reliance on the fridge for all manner of unnecessary food preservation, Jihyun has devised shelves and storage systems that cut down on fridge use (and therefore also minimise energy usage). Drawing upon tricks of the past to shape the future, Zhou is keen to emphasise the place of tradition in her work. “I believe that once people are given a tool that triggers their minds and requires a mental effort to use it, new traditions and new rituals can be introduced into our culture.”