Re-crafting traditions
Korean artists are redefining traditional aesthetics
By Chung Ah-young
Porcelain made of clay from New Zealand by a Korean artist in a kiln in Germany — can we call it traditional Korean? Such a question has lingered for a long time, dividing Korean craftsmen into traditionalists and revisionists.
But the problem is how to transmit craft skills to the next generation in changing circumstances, where traditional methods are affected by outside or modern influences.
Crafting is not only a particular way of making an object but reflects the structure, value, history and identity of the society in which it is practiced.
Is it possible to strike a balance between the preservationist view of craft as an intangible heritage and its true status as a living tradition including contemporary practices?
The recent international summit presented by the World Crafts Council (WCC), which took place from Feb. 4 to 6 in New Delhi, India, offered an opportunity to share views on the preservation of the craftsmanship and rich heritage of jewelry design and crafts, and opened the possibility for Korean crafts to reach world connoisseurs.
Elaine Kim, deputy director of the World Jewellery Museum in Korea, who participated in the summit as the only Asian representative, said that Korean crafts are little known in the world but this is a good opportunity to leap forward.
“It is a pity that Korean crafts are unknown in the Europe-dominated field. But people showed great interest in them and wanted to know more about Korea,” Kim said in an interview with The Korea Times.
The congress was the first of its kind to bring representatives from five continents to one place to discuss the latest technologies and trends over the years, and empower artisans and craftsmen.
She delivered a speech titled “On Icons of Identity in Jewelry” that included her personal family history of the jewelry collections and reflects her perspectives on redefining traditional crafts. Among others, she introduced four Korean artists who have renovated traditional craft skills into modern tastes.
After her presentation, she said she received a lot of attention and many questions about Korean crafts from the international
audience. “They were deeply impressed by the exotic and new forms of these crafts. Although I showed very modern-twisted artworks, they immediately recognized
them as very Korean,” she said.
Kim said that it is true that Korean crafts have been sidelined from the mainstream but this means that they can be a new sphere.
“They admired our system of protecting intangible heritages and at the same time, they shared the view on how to preserve traditional crafts through moderate modern infusions,” she said.
It is difficult for artists to keep a balance between tradition and modernity as it cannot be — either traditional or modern.
However, the four artists — Yun Sang-hee, Lim Hyo-jung, Yoon Jeong-won and Hwang Kap-sun — are shaping and redefining Korean craft aesthetics and cultural identity through their own individual processes, materials and execution.
“They investigate their roles as designers by opening up the cultural icons of Korea’s heritage and giving relevance to our time. Labeled ‘new,’ ‘hybrid,’ or ‘subversive’ forms of cultural representation, their work triggers thought-provoking questions about the possibilities of how craft traditions evolve in response to contemporary social and cultural concerns and issues,” she said in her speech.
Collaborative projects involving national human treasures and contemporary designers produce works that are rooted in tradition and yet have been influenced by modern needs and sensibilities. Such collaborations are just starting and the responses have been favorable, Kim said.
Hwang often draws a challenging question from Korean traditional purists —— how important is it that material is traditional and its working is indigenous to the nation? He uses clay from New Zealand and has his kiln in Germany. With his extensive research into the ancient techniques of incising, polishing and glazing for some 20 years, Hwang infuses the traditions of Joseon-era white porcelain into his ceramics which embodies an intellectual and cultural flexibility, something integral to the evolution of the concepts of tradition.
Yun uses the “otchil” technique, which is traditional Korean lacquer inlaid with mother-of-pearl, together with new computer-aided technologies that are changing the definition of craft in the 21st century. Her neckpieces, bracelets and rings are created through innovative construction techniques, reflecting her understanding of the interrelationship of the body and jewelry.
Lim’s tableware objects are associated with the rituals of our daily life. Her works are inspired by the concept of traditional food culture in Korea — the ceremony surrounding food and eating, combined with the sense of occasion. Her artworks reflect her way of thinking toward the current fast-food culture and tell us not to lose our traditional table manners.
From painting, installation, furniture and fashion to jewelry, Yoon transforms various mass-produced materials into new art forms. Shamanic traditions of Korean culture inspire her aesthetic sensibilities. Her 500 Barbie deities transform the gallery into a ritual space, blurring the boundaries of East and West.
The summit participants showed great interest in Korean artists according to their fields but among them, Yun’s works were praised as a refreshing way of carrying on the traditions of Korean lacquer work that makes it feel contemporary so that it almost does not look like lacquer.
“These designers shed light on our understanding of traditions beyond the immediate and guide us to appreciate the expressive qualities that they communicate. As guardians of tradition and agents of change, they revitalize the craft experience and redefine the aesthetic within Korean visual culture in the era of a global community,” said Kim.
“To imprint our cultural identity on others, our culture should have an influence on them. To do that, we have to change the concept of borders. I think these four artists are proving that. In that sense, I was deeply impressed by India that has more than 300 years of colonial history and modernization but still keeps its strong cultural identity. Their crafts were influenced by other outside worlds and even modern designs such as Cartier, Van Cleef and Apels, while keeping their jewelry craft reflecting their indigenous characteristics,” said Kim.
The World Jewellery Museum located in Samcheong-dong in Seoul retains approximately 5,000 pieces of jewelry from antique to modern exhibits from around the world. The museum is the first to be devoted entirely to jewelry, especially one that houses such ethnically diverse pieces.