Traditional Korean Paper Hanji to Take Center Stage in Paris with Its Modern & Artistic Value
Korea Craft & Design Foundation (President Chang Dong-kwang, hereinafter, the "KCDF") will exhibit hanji-based cultural products and works produced from the 2023 Korean Wave Collaboration Content(Hanji) Development Support Project at 'MAISON & OBJET 2024', the world's largest interior and design fair, which will take place in Paris, France, from January 18 to 22.
Marking its 30th anniversary this year, MAISON & OBJET in Paris, France, is an annual show that draws over 6,700 professional buyers. The winter event held last January attracted as many as 67,429 visitors from 144 countries.
Under the theme of 'ESCALADER LE PRINTEMPS', the fair will shed a light on the artistry and utility of hanji, with distinct interpretations from three 'Korean Wave-related cultural artists (hereinafter, the 'Korean Wave IPs')' active in the worldwide arena, as well as five participating artists.
In the upcoming event, Bahk Seon-ghi, an internationally acclaimed sculptor with numerous exhibitions in Paris, Washington, and New York, plans to present byeongpung (folding screens) made of hanji and stone bowls, along with installation art using charcoal, an unusual medium. The fair intends to provide visitors with a unique opportunity to appreciate his broadened worldview by combining his philosophy of focusing on natural objects with hanji, which gently transmits light.
Lee Gap-chul, one of Korea's leading photographers, will present a photo book comprising his photos printed on hanji at this exhibition. The Korean sentiment profoundly ingrained in his unique, imagination-provoking angle is reflected in the medium of traditional Korean paper, creating a strong sense of elegance. The photographs, which he captured during his travels through every corner of Korea with just a single film camera, will be displayed in the heart of Paris to promote the beauty of Korea.
The five participating artists of 'Sunny Kim', 'By Grey', 'Studio Nouer', 'Studio Shinyoo', and 'Studio Foh' have created works and products using hanji, inspired by the works of Korean Wave IPs Bahk Seon-ghi and Lee Gap-chul. Stirred by Bahk Seon-ghi, 'Sunny Kim', ?Studio Shinyoo', and ?Studio Foh' will lead visitors through the worlds of light, shape, and materiality, each with its unique twists. ?By Grey' and ?Studio Nouer', motivated by Lee Gap-chul's photographs, have produced works that evoke feelings of nature, time, and contemplation.
The exhibition for ?MAISON & OBJET 2024' was planned and directed by Al Season (Kim Mi-youn).
Chang Dong-kwang, President of the KCDF, said, "We have organized this exhibition to promote hanji, an invaluable asset of Korea, to the central part of Europe. We hope that the reimagining of hanji through the lens of contemporary art, which is based on cooperation with world-class Korean Wave IPs and participating artists, will contribute to the global dissemination of hanji."
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