Hanji Happenings

I've finally opened my own Etsy Hanji Shop .  Its something I've been going to do for a long time and I've had lots of requests regarding where people can purchase unique hanji pieces from, so here it is. My shop name is Kultureshock. I'm currently having an opening sale of 20% off for the next 2 weeks only so don't forget to check it out.

Korea is and always has been, a country full of surprises.  Recently I was told by a Hanji friend about a Paper  Museum called Museum SAN (Space Art & Nature) and the indication was that it's a must see for anyone who is visiting Korea and loves paper. ' San ' also means mountain in Korean so it has a double edged meaning.                         It's a bit of a trek to get to from Seoul because first you need to take a 1 1/2 hr train ride  to Wonju,  a city renown in its own right for the quality of it's Hanji , then it's a 17 km taxi ride out to Oak Valley. This place is well known amongst locals as a ski resort during the winter months and a lovely mountain retreat during the summer. We had a seamless trip on the very efficient Korea railway system and taxi services, and soon arrived with great expectations of this place.  I've visited several H...

I took the opportunity of having some free time whilst in Korea to visit the N ational Museum of Seoul over the weekend and was  enthralled by its size, airiness and beautifully displayed items from both Korea and around all of Asia. There was a  special exhibition of paintings by well known Polish Artists on display but I was so engrossed in the Korean paintings and artifacts that I had to forgo that one for another day.                                     I was however very excited when I stumbled upon a painting, 'Portrait of Song Siyeol ' which was painted on silk in the 18th century. It was this portrait that I'd printed on to Hanji paper and put  onto a box that was in my recent Hanji exhibition, so to see the painting up close was amazing. This painting is considered to be one of the best ...

Entrance to the Festival On the first weekend in May  for the last 19 years (except for last year due to the Korean ferry disaster period of mourning) they've held the Hanji Culture Festival in Jeonju, the Capital of Jeollabuk-do Province. This city 240 kms south of Seoul is not only renown as the centre of paper making in Korea but it's also the ancestral home of the descendants of Yi Seonggye, founder of the Joseon dynasty and it's famous for the Korean rice and vegetable dish called Bibimbap. My journey south from Seoul on the fast train , along with my 2 sisters Pam & Heather and my sister in law Pauline, took only 1hr and 20mins.    Hanji Industry Support Center During my Hanji Exhibition in April of this year I met a lovely Korean lady named Sue who happened to come from Jeonju so when I told her I was to visit the Hanji Festival this year she said she'd see what she could do.  Before I knew it she'd been in contact with the Festival organis...

I don't normally write about any comments I get regarding my blog posts but this week I had an enlightening comment from an Artist called Tahiti Pehrson. I must admit I hadn't heard of him before  until he saw the article I posted on Psaligraphy by Karen Bit Vejle and he commented, 'Beautiful work. I had never heard that word: Psaligraphy. Had no idea I was a Psaligraphist.' I was intrigued to see what he did so I checked out his website   and found his amazing work.  "Yes, you certainly are a Psaligraphist Tahiti", although the Dictionary definition for Psaligraphy is, 'the art of cutting silhouettes out of paper' which doesn't quite seem to explain the intricacies of your work in my opinion.  Tahiti is from Northern California and his recent pieces have explored the interconnectivity between the fragility of paper and physical structures. Many of his pieces can be seen at his exhibitions in the States and the UK as well as...

I'm finally back at my desk for a short while before heading off to see my family in Australia and I'd like to  share with you one of the artistic highlights of my time in Europe.  Over the few months, prior to going on holiday, I began corresponding with a lovely lady, Ulla Brunn from Denmark. She wrote  telling me of her love for making boxes and her interest in the fact that I made boxes out of Hanji paper.  We exchanged some information and made plans to meet up in Copenhagen in July.  Her work was exquisite and I was very interested to talk to her about the methods she uses for making her boxes and to compare it with those I use in Hanji.  Ulla and myself looking at her boxes Some of Ulla's box designs are based on those of another Danish lady who lived in the late 18th and early 19th Century called Kamma Rahbek. Kamma's work can be seen in the Bakkehust Museum in Copenhagen so Ulla and I went together to visit, and see first h...

During my visit to Korea in March I visited the  Hansangsoo Embroidery Museum   located in Bukchon Hanok Village in Gahoe-dong in Seoul.  While rapid development in Korea has replaced  much of the old with new,  Bukchon Hanok Village    is an area dedicated to preserving Korean traditional houses called ‘hanok’. Bukchon Hanok  Village is nestled between the two royal palaces, Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changdeokgung Palace.  Many of the little museums that line the narrow streets are  opportunities for visitors to have cultural immersion experiences which include folk painting and doing different  tile rubbings. The Embroidery Museum has many exhibits of  traditional embroidery including the works of Han Sang-soo, who has been named Intangible Cultural Asset No. 80.  It was established to promote Korean embroidery as well as artwork, and to preserve the traditional techniques handed down from genera...