YÉOL Foundation exhibition showcases two artisans' efforts to preserve traditional Korean crafts

Arts & Design

Published: 30 Aug. 2023, 16:25 Updated: 30 Aug. 2023, 18:25

YÉOL Foundation exhibition showcases two artisans' efforts to preserve traditional Korean crafts

Hwagak, or ox horn inlaying, artisan Han Gi-deok, right, and ceramist Kim Dong-jun [YEOL FOUNDATION]

What do ox horns and paper have in common? Use the right resources and persevere through the intense labor, all while embracing its dignity, you'll be able to turn the former into the latter. This is called hwagak, a type of craft that is unique to Korea.

Artisans who specialize in hwagak, which literally means ox horn inlaying, are called hwagakjang. They make gakji, or ox horn paper, by carving and grinding the ox horns until they become paper-thin. Artisans then paint patterns onto the piece, which is then pasted onto furniture or ornaments.

The labor-intensive craft used to be popular among wealthy aristocrats who could afford it. But now, there are only two hwagakjangs in Korea who continue the rare tradition.

Hwagak, ox horn inlaying, lids on top of baekja, white porcelain, bowls [YEOL FOUNDATION]

One of them, Han Gi-deok, has been selected as the Artisan of the Year by the YÉOL Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes Korean cultural heritage. The foundation also selects a Young Crafts of the Year, which went to ceramist Kim Dong-jun this year.

Even after 160 years, the biggest headache of this craft remains the same

Under the theme "Woobomanri: An Enduring Walk Towards Purity," the two are showcasing their works at YÉOL's venue in Jongno District, central Seoul.

On view are Han's hwagak furniture, including a cabinet, stools and light fixtures and Kim's baekja, white porcelain, in the form of moon jars and bowls.

The pair also collaborated on sets of baekja wares with hwagak lids and supports.

A baekja vase with a hwagak support [YEOL FOUNDATION]

The artisans updated their designs to fit with modern aesthetics, which tends to embrace simplicity. In this sense, they attempted to recreate the classical idea of beauty, which abstains from excessive embellishment.

"The essential traits of Joseon baekja is that they have minimized the decorations and focused on the functional aspects," Kim said. "There's a saying about ceramics, 'It's a skill to hide the skill.'"

As for hwagak, Han said his latest works are the opposite of what most people are familiar with, the ones with highly intricate patterns they see in television.

Han preserves gakji's translucent surface to focus on the natural color and texture of the original horn by layering it with lacquer. This emphasizes gakji's artistic merit as a medium rather than a mere ornament.

"Hwagak used to represent furniture that was at the height of extravagance, but now we can eliminate such aspects and present ox horns in the unvarnished state," Han said. "This is why we can say that we've created a new genre with hwagak. Now we can depict them hand in hand in contemporary styles while still preserving and admiring the tradition."

"Woobomanri: An Enduring Walk Towards Purity" continues until Sept. 23. The YÉOL exhibition space is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for Sundays, Mondays and national holidays. The show is free.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]