Apr 15, 2009
¡°While Korea¡¯s culinary culture and traditional fashions have been exported internationally...the art of metal craft, which dates as far back as 3000 years, has yet to be shared with the world,¡± said Lee Hyang-sook, president of Haute Classe, the Seoul-based gallery which organized the event in cooperation with the DC-based James Renwick Alliance, as part of Craft Week DC (April 22-26). The exhibit will be on display at KORUS House through April 24, including Saturday, 11am – 4 pm.
Items in the exhibit range from new takes on traditional jewelry and tea sets, to modern sculptures, brooches, and decorative vessels. Some striking examples incorporated time pieces, a music box, ceramics, and precious stones, amid a common theme of softly brushed metal surfaces and gently curved lines.
Ancient Korea maintained a strong metalwork tradition for several millennia, Lee said, and in the fourth century, artists of the Silla Kingdom were using refined techniques to produce intricate crowns of gold and other royal accessories. Like many other Korean cultural traditions, however, this indigenous art was lost when Korea was occupied in 1910, and only reemerged in a limited form after the end of World War II, when the country began its rapid industrialization. Haute Classe, established in 2007, was one of the first galleries in Korea dedicated solely to contemporary metal art.
¡°It¡¯s a wonderful display of beautiful Korean art,¡± said Gordon Thompson, a regular guest at KORUS House events, during the opening reception. ¡°And the food¡¯s not bad either.¡±
The exhibit also features a special section on what Lee refers to as ¡°Drama Jewelry,¡± the ornate traditional items popularized in Korean period dramas seen on TV, such as those set in the fondly remembered 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty. Including necklaces, hairpins, earrings, and other accoutrements, these intricately detailed pieces incorporate various precious stones such as jade and turquoise.
¡°This is really a great venue for this type of event,¡± said Bertrand Renaud, also a guest Tuesday evening. ¡°You have the right space for a beautiful exhibit.¡± The exhibit features two rooms of metal work and special information about the Korean capital, Seoul, which sponsored the exhibit, in addition to the permanent KORUS House galleries.
¡°This show was a superb display of modern creativity in Korea where the link between Korean tradition and modernity is palpably present in every field," Renaud went on to say. ¡°Another attraction of Korean artistic work is that these days creations are so diverse in taste, inspiration, and execution and they build upon so many inspirations from around the world, it would be a rare visitor who would not find several pieces particularly attractive to his or her own personal taste.¡±
¡°As always, our objective at the Korean Embassy is to further advance the friendship between the Republic of Korea and the United States,¡± said Nam Jin-soo, minister counselor for public affairs at the Korean Embassy, during his welcoming remarks. ¡°I am confident that this...exhibit will contribute immensely to [those] goals.¡±
By Adam Wojciechowicz
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Korean Metal Art & Jewelry Design Today: An Exhibit of Contemporary Works
More than 100 works of innovative metal craft and jewelry by Korean and Korean American artists will be on display at the Korean Embassy¡¯s culture and information center, KORUS House, on April 14-24, with a free public reception on Tuesday, April 14, from 6:30-8 p.m. (RSVP requested).
This exhibition titled "Korean Metal Art & Jewelry Design Today" features traditional and contemporary designs for necklaces, rings, brooches, tea sets, decorative containers, office instruments, desk sculptures, and other intricate, original creations from 78 Korean and 14 Korean-American artists, including university art instructors, professionals, and emerging young talent. The collection highlights the aesthetic heritage and future innovation of Korean craftsmanship.
The exhibit is part of the city-wide Craft Week DC from April 22 through 26, organized by local galleries and the James Renwick Alliance in coordination with the 2009 Smithsonian Craft Show from April 23 to 26. This exhibit is also part of the KORUS Cultural Gala, a series of special events sponsored by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea that foster enhanced ties between people of the Republic of Korea and the United States through cultural outreach. Exhibit organizer Gallery Haute Classe is the first professional gallery to introduce the works of Korean industrial artists in Seoul, Korea, since 2007. Additional exhibit support has been provided by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
Hosted by: KORUS House, Embassy of the Republic of Korea
Organized by: Gallery Haute Classe and James Renwick Alliance
Sponsored by: Seoul Metropolitan Government
Exhibit Dates:
April 14 – 24, 2009
Mon-Fri: 9 am – 5:30 pm | Saturday: 11 am – 4 pm
Opening Reception: Tuesday, April 14 at 6:30 pm
Contact
Hyeyoon Chung
(202) 797-6344
hychung@koreaembassy.org
KORUS House, Embassy of the Republic of Korea
2370 Massachusetts Ave. NW Washington D.C. 20008
1. Kang, Chan-kyun
2. Komelia Hongja Okim
3. Yu, Lizzy
<¡±Golho-Samjogo"(The immoral bird that lives in the sun); 2002/ Silver925 /180x160x270(mm)>
4. Kim, Seung-hee
5. Choo, Won-gyo
