I recently attended a beautiful exhibit of Korean pottery at the Korean Cultural Center in Washington, D.C. The KCC makes a special effort to showcase the work of Korean and Korean-American artists working in many different media, introducing them to local audiences. On this particular night the work of Jong-neung Lee filled both galleries…
Each time we visit Seoul, we are struck by the number of grinning faces we are met with. Plenty of those are of the human variety, because Koreans are, after all, a very friendly people. But take the people out of the equation, and there’s still lots of grinning going on — on sculptures, paintings, signs, door…
One of the things that I have enjoyed most about researching and writing this book is the discovery of art forms we were previously unfamiliar with. The more we learned about some of them, the more we grew to like them. One of those, which has become one of our favorites, is girokhwa, or documentary…
Legend has it that once upon a time Buddha asked all the animals to visit him on New Year’s Day and pay their respects. He promised prizes to the first 12 to arrive. Ox, afraid that he couldn’t compete with the faster animals, decided to give himself a head start and left the night before…
On a rainy day this week, Debbi and I drove to New York City to speak about 100 Thimbles in a Box at an evening book talk and craft show sponsored by the Korea Society. We were honored by the invitation and had a marvelous time! The evening was billed as a celebration of the…
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,…
Yes we are! I visited the Smithsonian’s Sackler Gallery over the weekend and found our book in the gift shop. The gal behind the counter had me sign them all, and, more importantly, she told me that they’re selling! Save
Joan loves dirt. She’s an avid gardener and potter, both of which require getting your hands into the stuff, and nothing makes her happier. So, not surprisingly, some of her favorite Korean handicrafts are those made from dirt, or what used to be dirt. She can stand forever, lovingly caressing a simple round pottery…
I don’t think it’s possible to go anywhere in Korea and not be within view of at least one mountain. It is a very, very mountainous country, and, not surprisingly, the mountains have long held deep religious meaning and significance for Koreans. Each was traditionally believed to be sacred, home to a mountain spirit, Sanshin. …
On one of my first trips to Korea, I came across some carved and painted figures in an antique shop in Insadong that I found to be pretty wonderful. I didn’t know what they were and the shop owner spoke no English so I didn’t ask. But it didn’t matter. They were charming and I…