Latest news with #KoreaCraftandDesignFoundation
Korea Herald
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Korea embraces beauty of everyday with monthlong craft exhibitions
Craft exhibitions on hanji and hanbok await visitors this month South Korea is turning up the charm this month with a series of craft exhibitions that celebrate the artistry found in everyday objects. The Korea Craft and Design Foundation is presenting "Hanji Objects: Embracing Wisdom" at Hanji House in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, through June 22. The exhibition spotlights "hanji," traditional Korean paper made from mulberry bark, and its evolving role over the centuries. Once primarily used for writing and books, hanji has long been repurposed into durable, lightweight and humidity-resistant household items. Artifacts on loan from the Hanji Art and Culture Foundation in Wonju, Gangwon Province, and the Goesan Hanji Experience Museum in North Chungcheong Province, illustrate the craftsmanship and ancestral wisdom embedded in these handmade pieces. The exhibition is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and admission is free. From June 13 to 15, the KCDF will also host a three-day hanbok fair at AK& Sejong. The 2025 Hanbok Expo will feature eight hanbok brands — Guiroe, Ccomaque by Dolsilnai, Daraewon Hanbok, Sun Daum, Somock Hanbok, Somikyung, Ondata Parang, and Flora Dress and Hanbok — offering visitors a chance to try on traditional attire and explore the synergy between Hangeul and hanbok. Admission is 5,000 won, with more details available on KCDF's official website. Later that month, jeweler and maker Kim Yoo-jung will unveil her second solo exhibition in five years, "Refuse to Disappear," at Yeol Bukchonga in Jongno-gu, June 17-23. Her contemporary jewelry pieces reflect on the presence of everyday objects and challenge viewers to rethink consumption and value in a fast-paced society. In Gyeonggi Province, the Yangju City Council gallery is showcasing 'The Phrase: Perspectives on Space' through June 27, featuring artists Won Jo-hyun, Lee Se-rim, Lee Eun-kyoung and Chung Dong-gyun. The exhibition draws inspiration from musical phrasing — the shaping of a passage — using visual art to express how individual works can resonate both independently and as a cohesive whole within a shared space. Admission is free.
Korea Herald
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Korea Craft Week 2025 to kick off May 16
Annual festival to shed light on Korean craft heritage South Korea's largest annual local craft festival is returning bigger than ever next month. The Korea Craft and Design Foundation and the Culture Ministry said Thursday that the eighth annual Korea Craft Week 2025 will take place May 16-25 nationwide, with three counties and 12 provinces hosting major craft events and programs for visitors. In its eighth edition, this year's fair will run under the theme, "Living Together, Craft Together," to connect people through craft and bring happiness to everyday life, blending creativity with togetherness. To shed light on local craft traditions, Goseong-gun in Gangwon Province, Buan-gun in North Jeolla Province and Jinju in South Gyeongsang Province have been designated as areas to hold special programs to promote their unique craft heritage, as well as offer various craft exhibitions and programs. In addition, 21 organizations nationwide have also been chosen to host special programs -- including activities, exhibitions, markets, experiences, tours, education and lectures -- during the 10-day event. Schedule and reservations for the festival will soon be available on the Korea Craft Week 2025's official website and Instagram account.
Korea Herald
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Journey through decades of crafts, designs at Korea Craft & Design Foundation Gallery
KCDF marks 25th anniversary with an exhibition entitled 'The Obvious Journey, 25 years' Marking the 25th anniversary of its establishment, the Korea Craft and Design Foundation is hosting an exhibition titled "The Obvious Journey, 25 years," showcasing the organization's decades-long work in crafts and design. Allowing visitors to walk down memory lane, the exhibition will highlight the KCDF's 25-year journey through four themes. The first zone, "Laying the Foundation for Everyday Culture," explores the evolution of Korean crafts, traditional culture, hanbok and public design. The second section, "Preparing for the Future," presents the KCDF's initiatives in nurturing talent and global expansion. The third theme, "Embracing Everyday Aesthetics," delves into past exhibitions and festivals organized by the KCDF. Artworks of the winners of the KCDF's "Craft Prize," which acknowledges individuals and organizations that have contributed to the development of Korean crafts since 2018, will also be on display. The fourth zone, "Spreading Korean Aesthetics," sheds light on the KCDF's work to promote Korean aesthetics to the global audience. The exhibition will run from Tuesday until April 20 at the KCDF Gallery in Jongno-gu, central Seoul. It is open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. every day except Mondays. Admissions are free of charge. For more information, visit the KCDF's official website. An archive book will also be published, featuring expert insights on Korea's achievements in craft, design and traditional culture, along with the future direction of KCDF. The KCDF said the exhibition serves as a "valuable opportunity" to look back on the institution's past achievements and take the time to plan for its future growth and possibilities, adding that it will expand cultural and artistic initiatives in the future by collaborating with more artists. Meanwhile, the KCDF, a public institution affiliated with the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Tourism, was launched in April 2000 with the aim to promote Korea's craft, design, and hanbok, as well as provide opportunities for young artists. In November 2006, the institution established the KCDF Gallery in Insa-dong, an old Seoul neighborhood known for its alleys of craft galleries and art shops, and opened a multi-disciplinary cultural space named the Culture Station Seoul 284 in August 2011. Eight years later, the KCDF was designated as the specialized institution for promoting public design.
Korea Herald
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
VR exhibition on Korean traditional kites wraps up in Argentina, heads to Japan
Same exhibition runs at the Korean Cultural Center in Tokyo through April 2 A virtual reality exhibition showcasing South Korea's traditional "bangpae yeon," or fighter kite, concluded successfully in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Korea Craft and Design Foundation said, Friday. Titled "Wings of Changyeon," the exhibition was held at the Korean Culture Center in Buenos Aires Feb. 18-20, inviting visitors to explore the history and beauty of traditional Korean kites, offering an immersive cultural experience through VR technology. The two-day event also featured a virtual journey through Korea's four seasons, with realistic visuals set against iconic cultural landmarks such as Gyeongbokgung in Seoul and the UNESCO-designated Iksan Mireuksa in North Jeolla Province -- the largest Buddhist temple of the ancient Baekje Kingdom. Through the VR experience, visitors could virtually fly traditional kites at these historic sites. In additional to the VR content, the exhibition offered kite-making workshops and featured an art display by Korean folk painting artist Seo Hana. The same exhibition is currently being held at the Korean Cultural Center in Tokyo, where it will run through April 2. It is part of a cultural exchange program between Korea and Japan to mark the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic ties. The KCDF said it plans to continue collaborating with overseas Korean cultural centers to promote traditional Korean crafts and heritage, including traditional kites.
Korea Herald
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Korean food culture boxes land at 3 more Korean Cultural Centers
Part of Korean cuisine promotion project, interactive display boxes now distributed to 15 Korean Cultural Centers in 13 countries As part of South Korea's initiative to promote Korean cuisine, "hansik" in Korean, on the global culinary scene, display boxes created to promote traditional Korean cuisine have been sent to Korean Culture Centers in South Africa, Mexico and Shanghai, the Korea Craft and Design Foundation said Tuesday. This brings the total to 15 Korean Cultural Centers in 13 countries that are part of the hansik promotion project. Aiming to expand Korean food culture's reach to global audiences, the Culture Ministry and the KCDF launched the program in 2020 and have since distributed the Korean food culture boxes to Korean Cultural Centers in Paris, London, Stockholm, Osaka and Jakarta, to name a few. The Korean food culture boxes serve a mini exhibition displays and come in two types. The "Korean Feast" series is comprised of three themes ― a one-day feast, a royal feast and a noble family feast ― that cover both traditional and modern aspects of Korean cuisine. The idea was inspired by the royal banquets of the Joseon era (1392–1910), highlighting how people's lives and philosophies are reflected in their food culture. The royal feast theme presents Korean food items inspired by the traditional motifs of the "Irworobongdo," a folding screen with a landscape of a sun, a moon and five peaks that was placed behind the Joseon king's royal throne, and hanbok, or traditional Korean attire. The one-day box lets people experience Korean dining customs through a typical meal. The noble family-themed food box showcases traditional Korean items emphasizing cultural symbols and celebrating Korean dining traditions and customs. The boxes, called "Hansik Dorak," provide an engaging experience by sharing facts about Korean cuisine through short videos and popular games. Meanwhile, the KCDF plans to broaden the distribution of the food culture boxes, making them available to overseas institutions that run programs related to Korean culture or Korean cuisine. Institutions can apply to receive a food culture box between March 17 and April 4. More information is available on the KCDF's official website.
