Re:visioning HANJI
February 24 to March 31, 2016
Gallery Korea
Opening Reception: Wednesday, March 9, 2016 at 6 to 8PM
Celebrating 1000 years of the rich history of hanji, Korean traditional handmade paper, the Korean Cultural Center New York presents a feature exhibition of hanji artworks by contemporary artists Ran Hwang and Aimee Lee in Re:visioning HANJI.
Hanji literally means ‘the paper of Hanguk (the Korean term to refer to the country),’ and is an exquisite traditional paper made with the fibrous skin of mulberry trees. The process of making hanji is lengthy and complicated. People say the completion of a single sheet of hanji requires “ninety-nine touches by the maker and one touch by the user.” Hanji has been closely intertwined with the livelihood of Koreans; it has been used in a multitude of ways not only as paper for drawing and writing, but also as efficient materials to create products such as suits of armor, lamps, and windows. The exhibition explores the past, present, and future of hanji – from its long history since the 4th and 5th centuries to contemporary artworks by two renowned hanji artists as well as the infinite potential of hanji in the global market.
The participating artist, Ran Hwang, is an internationally renowned poetic installation artist who uses thousands of handmade hanji buttons to create large-scale installation works. Hwang’s 9 feet tall installation depicting the Triumphal Arch and Eiffel Tower will be shown at the exhibition. The installation, the Beginning of the Bright, is made of Hangul (Korean alphabet) shaped hanji buttons to celebrate Hangul’s designation as a UNESCO Record Cultural Heritage. Aimee Lee is a hanji educator, artist, and a founder of the first and only Korean papermaking studio in North America at the Morgan Conservatory in Cleveland. The exhibition will display diverse range of Lee’s artworks from woven hanji ducks to hanji dresses and more.
The Re:visioning HANJI exhibition is presented in part with the 2016 Asia Week New York and in its mission “to promote Asian art in New York City [in collation with] top-tier Asian art specialists, major auction houses, and world renowned museums” including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, Sotheby’s, and Christie’s auction house among many others.
Partnered Event:
A weekend hanji workshop will be held on Saturday, March 12th and Sunday, March 13th at the Korean Cultural Center New York. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the process of making hanji, and to make your own hanji craftwork with Artist Aimee Lee, one of the leading hanji experts in the United States.
The program is free, but reservations are required and space is limited. For more information please email gallerykorea@gmail.com.