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| Jeong Zik-seong's "201925" (2019) / Courtesy of Korea Craft & Design Foundation |
By Park Han-sol
Lacquer trees have grown and been cultivated in Asian countries for centuries. Its sticky sap, or "ot" in Korean, has served as one of the oldest natural paints used to create a glossy finishing layer on furniture and crafts ― through the "otchil" technique.
While Korea, China and Japan shared a similar culture surrounding lacquerware until the 668-935 Unified Silla era on the Korean Peninsula, the three came to develop their own aesthetics afterward. During the 918-1392 Goryeo Kingdom, Korea began inlaying mother-of-pearl, a shimmering material found in seashells, on lacquered objects.
These came to be known as "najeonchilgi" in Korean.
Korea's traditional mother-of-pearl lacquerware, bathed in an extraordinary iridescent hue, has been brought to the heart of France at UNESCO headquarters in Paris this week.
The special exhibition, "Najeon, the Korean Mother of Pearl Artworks ― Meeting with the Timeless Shine," unfolded on the first floor of the landmark building, Monday, and will run until Sept. 14.
Organized by the Korea Craft & Design Foundation and the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation, the 10-day show aims to shed light on the tradition of the country's mother-of-pearl craftwork that has been passed down for over a millennium.
A total of 63 pieces on view were born at the hands of 13 creators of different generations: the late Jeon Sung-kyu, who was believed to be the last najeonchilgi master from the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom; seven artisans who have been designated as holders of national intangible cultural heritage; and five present-day creators who have added a touch of contemporary aesthetics to the traditional techniques and materials.
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| Yoo Ji-an's "The Blissful Waves 01" (2021) / Courtesy of Korea Craft & Design Foundation |
The featured master craftspeople include Lee Hyung-mahn, who was named the Master Artisan of Najeon Craft Making, and Jeong Su-hwa, who was designated as the Master Artisan of Lacquering.
Jeong Zik-seong is one of the notable contemporary creators on view. Having a background in painting, she utilizes the mother-of-pearl's materiality and related techniques to create two-dimensional, shimmering landscape paintings.
For Yoo Ji-an, the iridescent sparkle from the shells has become an essential visual vocabulary in her oeuvre. She decorates the surface of installations and art furniture with mother-of-pearl patterns, as seen in "The Blissful Waves" at the show.
Kim Hyun-ju brought a contemporary vision to the lacquerware tradition as she applied mother-of-pearl patterns to the solid golden surface of metallic articles instead of wooden objects.
After its run at the UNESCO office, the exhibition will move to a new venue at the Korean Cultural Center in Paris from Sept. 29 to Nov. 19.
