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Adoptee artist brings Korean textile tradition to life in live Seoul performance
Minnesota-based Korean adoptee artist Dawn Tomlinson, left, and Chunghie Lee, visual artist and director of the Korea Bojagi Forum, pose next to Tomlinson’s works for the “Bojagi Art Window: An Art Performance” project at Kwanhoon 1 Pyung Gallery in central Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Pyo Kyung-min
By Pyo Kyung-min
Minnesota-based Korean adoptee bojagi artist Dawn Tomlinson recently concluded a 10-day live performance at Kwanhoon 1 Pyung Gallery in the traditional streets of Insa-dong, central Seoul, where she crafted Korean textile art in front of a live audience.
Bojagi, a traditional Korean wrapping cloth once used for everyday storage or gift-giving, has evolved into a contemporary art form featured in fashion, interior design and global exhibitions.
From May 12 to 21, Tomlinson worked in full view of the public, her process visible through the gallery's large street-facing window. Visitors were also invited to step into the small but welcoming studio to ask questions and engage with the artist as she stitched each day's piece.
Each day, Tomlinson completed a small bojagi, and on the final two days, she assembled the individual pieces into a larger patchwork, tying the entire performance together in a single textile work.
An award-winning artist currently based in Minnesota, Tomlinson shared that she brought a personal layer to the traditional practice, using bojagi to explore themes of identity, memory and belonging.
"As a Korean adoptee, I've always felt lost and disconnected from my heritage," Tomlinson told The Korea Times at the studio on Wednesday, the final day of the performance.
"Engaging with bojagi has been a transformative experience, allowing me to reconnect and feel a sense of belonging with my culture in a deeply personal way."
Reflecting on her time in Seoul, she said the setting and spontaneous visitor interactions added unexpected depth to the project.
"Working here and interacting with people who came in off the street was really inspiring. I did feel nervous, since I prefer working alone most of the time, but their curiosity enriched the experience beyond what I had imagined."
The performance was part of an artist residency organized by Chunghie Lee, a leading bojagi artist and founder of the Bojagi Forum. A former faculty member of the Rhode Island School of Design, Lee has helped introduce Korean textile traditions to international audiences. Now based in Seoul, Lee continues to mentor artists from around the world, including students from Finland who have taken part in similar residencies.