Hanji making
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Jang Seong-woo makes “hanji” in his workshop named Jangjibang in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province. Jang is a fourth-generation hanji maker, succeeding his father Jang Yong-hoon, who was designated as Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 117. / Korea Times photos by Choi Won-suk
Artisan interprets traditional paper making for modern times
By Chung Ah-young
GAPYEONG, Gyeonggi Province — Even though Jang Seong-woo is a “hanji” (traditional Korean mulberry paper) maker, he does not wear “hanbok” (traditional Korean clothing). Rather, he wears a T-shirt printed with the image of Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara and a pair of earrings.
“I don’t understand why people expect artisans to wear hanbok while working. My job is to make traditional paper, but I live in the modern era,” Jang said in an interview with The Korea Times.
His unlikely work clothes reflect his different approach to the traditional craft as a member of the next generation of artisans. Jang, 48, is younger than most other artisans, who are in their 60s and 70s.
He is a fourth-generation hanji maker, following in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps. His father is master Jang Yong-hoon, who was designated as Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 117 in 2010. Jang become fully involved in making hanji after his father became sick over two years ago.
He sweats as he steams mulberry barks in a 2.5-ton cauldron in his smoke-filled workshop in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province.
He wants to improve the working conditions of hanji makers by adopting modern devices that make processes easier while maintaining the quality and integrity of the resulting products.
“I fully respect the traditional methods that have been handed down from generation to generation. But many artisans are working under dire circumstances by following the ancient methods. So, I want to improve these difficult working conditions, even though my father doesn’t approve,” he said.
The artisan said he often argued with his father over the matter. He believes the overall improvement of the working environment will ultimately attract more young people to learn the craft.
Jang developed a machine that pounds the mulberry bark fibers, in place of the traditional mortar. “If I stuck to the old methods of pounding the fibers, I would have given up my job already. The machine does not affect the quality of the resulting paper at all,” he said.
His student, 31-year-old Park Jae-gyun, has been learning hanji making since January. He said Park, who also studies in the cultural heritage department at Yongin University, plans to learn hanji making from Jang for the next 10 years.
“It is rare to find such a young student who wants to learn this traditional craft. I am very lucky. But at the same time, we artisans should make efforts to create a decent working environment for young people because the current skill holders are getting older and older,” he said.
Jang insisted that people younger by at least 10 years than his generation need to engage in this craft so that it can be passed down effectively to the next generation. Otherwise, the craft will soon disappear.
“I am a fourth-generation hanji maker. I think I should be different from artisans from my father’s generation, who experienced economic difficulties and strict disciplinary actions from their predecessors. But under such circumstances, nobody will want to learn the craft today,” he said.
Jang hopes to build a dormitory that can accommodate young students from his workshop.
Authenticity and more
Jang’s father opened a workshop named “Jangjibang” in Gapyeong in the mid-1970s. The county is ideal for cultivating mulberry trees because of its clean water.
His hanji has a rough surface and a yellowish white color because he does not use bleaching chemicals and instead removes particles with his bare hands. In addition, when steaming the mulberry barks, he uses the traditional method of filtering the alkaline solution using a steamer.
Scooping out the mulberry fibers from the water with a sieve is the part of the process that determines the quality of the paper.
“The other steps can be done by people who are not skilled in hanji making, but the scooping process requires the highest level of dexterity. This skill can be achieved only after more than 10 years of training,” he said.
Jang’s workshop produces more than 100 kinds of hanji with different thicknesses and for different purposes, including hanji that caters to the needs of today’s customers.
“Customers change constantly. Today’s customers use hanji for purposes different from those of customers from my father’s generation. So, I need to keep abreast with the trends in order to keep the tradition alive,” he said.
He not only produces hanji but also creates “jiseung,” or paper string, artwork. “I wanted to use the paper I made. Jiseung is a rather easy artwork to make using my paper,” he said.
Many products can be made from jiseung, ranging from kettles, tea tables and rice boxes to handheld lamp covers and mats. “I am getting older too, so I want to have something to do in my later years when I cannot make paper anymore,” he said. He also creates “ssamji” or paper with a crinkle-treated surface.
Jang said the future of the hanji is bright because of its versatility and durability.
“Recently, the paper has been gaining international attention, as it has been widely used in recent years in modern applications, such as in fashion, art and design. It is noted for its durability, resilience and beauty,” he said.
Who is Jang Seong-woo?
Born in 1967 in the southwestern city of Gwangju, Jang is a fourth-generation hanji maker, succeeding his father Jang Yong-hoon, who was designated as Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 117 in 2010. He became fully involved in making hanji after his father became sick over two years ago.
His father moved to Gapyeong in Gyeonggi Province, which is ideal for cultivating mulberry trees because of its clean water and where he opened a workshop named “Jangjibang.” The hanji made at Jangjibang was often used to repair old books.
Jang produces various kinds of hanji, such as “ssamji” or crinkled hanji, to expand the usage of the paper and cater to the needs of current customers.
What is ‘hanji’?
Hanji refers to traditional Korean mulberry paper made in a labor intensive process. The paper is similar to the Japanese paper “washi” but is different in terms of the sheet formation technique with which it is made. Hanji is formed with laminated sheets and calendaring, or a method of pounding the finished sheets to compress the fibers.
To make the hanji, the mulberry barks are steamed in an alkaline solution for four to five hours. The alkaline solution is made from the ashes of beans, buckwheat or straw and makes the mulberry fibers soft. Then, the steamed barks are washed and pounded in a mortar and then soaked in water. The meshed mulberry fibers are mixed with hibiscus manihot in water to prevent the fibers from tangling.
The fibers are scooped out of the water and lined horizontally on a wide rectangle sieve, and the latter vertically. Finally, the hanji is placed on top of a wooden board to dry.