Author: Joan Suwalsky

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Han-Sang-soo Cranes embroidery

A Robe of Many Colors: The Embroidery of Han, Sang-soo

Joan SuwalskyContemporary Korean lifestyles, Korean fiber arts, Traditional Korean lifestyles

In December I had the great pleasure of visiting the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco (http://www.asianart.org) for a special exhibit of Korean clothing. Couture Korea (http://www.asianart.org/exhibitions/couture-korea) was curated by Han, Hyonjeong Kim, Associate Curator of Korean Art at the Museum in collaboration with the Arumjigi Culture Keepers Foundation in Korea (http://www.arumjigi.org/eng/introduce/intro.php). Running from November…

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Youngmin Lee with community bojagi at LACMA Boone Children's Gallery

A World Record!

Joan SuwalskyContemporary Korean art & crafts, Korean handicrafts

In early 2017, we wrote about a friend of ours, Youngmin Lee, who designs and creates stunning hand-sewn Korean textile art in her home in the San Francisco area (https://100thimbles.com/youngmin-lee-bojagi-artist/).   In that article we mentioned a project that she was pursuing with visitors to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), where she was…

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2018 Pyeongchang Olympic flame moon jar cauldron

The Olympic Moon Jar: Serene Beauty in the Night Sky

Joan SuwalskyContemporary Korean art & crafts, Korean handicrafts

On February 9, Yuna Kim, Korea’s beloved 2010 Olympic Gold Medalist in Women’s figure skating ignited the Olympic Flame during the dramatic opening ceremonies of this year’s Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. It is fitting that a spokeswoman for Korea’s ever-increasing contemporary presence on the world stage should light a vessel that symbolizes Korea’s…

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Let the Games Begin! Auspicious Promises for Success in Pyeongchang

Joan SuwalskyKorea Olympics, Korea travel, Korean symbols

Soohorang and Bandabi, the mascots for the Olympic Winter Games and the Paralympic Winter Games, both to be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea starting this week and continuing through mid-March, are much more than loveable cartoon characters. With auspicious meaning and powers, the white tiger and the Asian black bear embody Korea’s long-standing reverence for…

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Three Korean Nathwi

Korean Monsters ~ Dokkaebi & Nathwi

Joan SuwalskyKorean folklore, Korean symbols

  In Korean art and culture, two different types of “monsters” are often seen—Nathwi Masks and Dokkaebi.   Although the two types have very different meanings, they are both examples of an image that is unique to Korean folk art—the smiling beast. Probably going back to animist/Shaminist belief in a world of spirits that inhabit all…

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Bojagi artist, Youngmin Lee

Youngmin Lee, Bojagi Artist

Joan SuwalskyKorean handicrafts

  During a recent visit to San Francisco, my daughter and I had the great pleasure of visiting the studio of Youngmin Lee (www.youngminlee.com), a skilled bojagi artist born and raised in Korea and now living in the U.S.  Serene and soft-spoken, Youngmin spends up to four hours most days carefully stitching wrapping cloths, pouches,…

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Contemporary Korean hanbok

The Hanbok Reimagined

Joan SuwalskyContemporary Korean art & crafts, Contemporary Korean lifestyles, Korean handicrafts, Traditional Korean lifestyles, Uncategorized2 comments

The hanbok, Korea’s traditional costume, is said to reflect the Korean artistic aesthetic—flowing lines and curves that lead the eye, large expanses of open surface that invite the imagination, and the bold use of color, often with symbolic meaning. It is worn today primarily for formal events, holidays and celebrations such as the first birthday,…

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