The Korean Cultural Society of Boston
한미예술협회
The 10th KCSB Exhibition:
Hanji - Making Paper, Sowing Seeds, Considering Environment
The special exhibit features the work of Jongkuk Lee, a renowned nature artist, who specializes in Hanji (Korean traditional paper). His materials are sourced from nature, even from his homegrown, paper mulberry trees. He is currently based in Cheongju, South Korea, where he serves as Director of Mabuel Gallery.
Lee prompts us to reflect on how we can turn natural resources into artwork and commodities. He strives to create objects by examining the qualities and usability of different natural materials such as bamboo and silver grass (common reed). This approach to art is his way of responding to the current global ecological crisis.
This exhibit will showcase Hanji scrolls, screens, and handmade 3D works with various materials. There will also be an outdoor installation in collaboration with two other artists.
October 7-21
LexArt, 130 Waltham St, Lexington, MA
Opening Reception: Saturday, Oct. 7, 3-5 pm
Artist Talk: Wednesday, Oct. 4, 7:30 pm
Workshop: Thursday, Oct. 5, 1:30 pm
Jongkuk Lee
In the 1990s, Lee settled in Bulat Village near Cheongju, which was long famous for its tradition of making Hanji, but as the demand for Hanji declined due to urbanization and industrial development, few were left in the village to continue the tradition. Lee’s passion for making Hanji, as well as his perspectives on the creative process as part of nature’s symbiotic relationship with humans, has been a driving force for the revitalization of Hanji in the village.
He was fascinated by not only the process of making Hanji but also the texture of Hanji resembling the nature herself. He believes that one gets to know an object, whether in nature or in a social context by spending enough time with it, observing it, and slowly immersing yourself in it. He views the process of growing trees, peeling and soaking barks, and producing Hanji as a symbiosis of all objects in the nature, including humans.