Korea traditional crafts to welcome foreign leaders

Special exhibition is being held at Sarangchae, Cheongwadae

National leaders who gathered at the National Museum of Korea during the G20 Summit last November were treated to the splendor of a special exhibition of traditional crafts, giving high praise for its novelty.

This year, over 50 national leaders plan to visit Korea to take part in the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit on March 26 and 27.

Artist Lim Gi-ok, who has presented his work in overseas exhibitions in China, Russia, and the U.S., submitted "Snow Flowers", an ink-and-wash style painting.

"This painting made full use of the spread of the ink on paper", said Lim, onsite at the exhibition. His painting uses various canvases, including not only rice paper but also the hemp cloth of Hanbok and ties, which he himself modeled.

Imperial costume by artist Yun Sung-ho

Royal Hanbok designed by artist Yun Sung-ho are also on display at the exhibition. The traditional outfit was featured in the opening show at the Craft & Culture 20 World Traditional Culture Fair in Korea, an event held in November 2010 to celebrate Korea's being named host of the G20 Summit. Yun's imperial costume show impressed the crowds with the beautiful colors and fancy quality of the silk materials.

A variety of works introduce colors associated with Korea. A cabinet splashed with patches of vivid colors was created by Roh Hyun-ok. A tea table made in the classical style with Hanji in pastel purple hues was produced by Oh Jung-min. Kim Yeong-ran's "Ten traditional symbols of longevity" and Hyo-rim's folk paintings also reveal a timeless beauty.

'Joy, anger, sorrow and pleasure of the 2012' by Hong Hyun-ju

With 2012 being the Year of the Dragon, several works incorporate a dragon motif. Artist Hong Hyun-ju depicts four human figures riding on the back of a dragon, each expressing different emotions: joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure. Artist Jeong Hong-seon created "Golden Twin Dragons (Hwanggeum Ssangryongdo)" in view of Koreans' love for all things gold and dragon-themed.

figurines act out the scene of a traditional Korean wedding.

In another display, human figurines covered with Hanji act out the scene of a traditional Korean wedding. Each paper model requires three months of repeated gluing and drying, with the process continued until the model is firm. Each model wears a unique but fitting facial expression for the scene, further capturing the interest of visitors.

This special exhibition brings together a diverse array of Korea traditional arts. Most of the items were selected for having an especially light, modern feel, in order to make the exhibit more accessible to foreign visitors. The exhibit will continue through the 30th of this month on the second floor of Sarangchae, open every day except on Mondays.


By Lee Seung-ah
Korea.net Staff Writer