Hanji Happenings

I've been attempting for years to do some refresher Hanji classes  during one of my usually whirlwind visits to Seoul but,  due to overseas work commitments and a lack of classes that cater for English  speakers, it hasn't been possible. I've had a lot of queries from people wanting to know what classes I took in Seoul earlier this year so I thought that I'd share that information with all of you through my blog.  A few years ago I was introduced to Myong Sook OM, an outstanding Korean Hanji Artist who'd studied Fine Arts for 5 years in New York and she was teaching Hanji in English to expats in Korea. She'd held several exhibitions of her work  both Nationally and Internationally and was involved in SIWA (Seoul International Women's Association). Her work is quite unique and I would love to have learnt from her as she was a perfectionist but when I dared to pose the question, " How long would I need to learn ?" I was told that a minimum o...

I was doing some  research recently at the Adelaide State library and I was surprised to come  across a poem about Hanji .  It was written by Suji Kwock Kim , and published in her collection of poems, " Notes from the Divided country' . She's a Korean American poet and playwright and has won numerous awards for her amazing work. This particular poem talks about the hardships of the papermaker and she dedicates it to Liu Yoon- Young. I found it fascinating and I'd like to share it with you along with some photos I took during my visit to Korea earlier this year. Hanji : Notes for a Papermaker           Shaped like a slab of granite           marking a grave, but light,           airy as "spirit-sheaves" lashed           from bloodroot or star thistle,   ...

' Hanji is used in limitless applications, including  wallpaper and an array of household goods made with traditional craftsmanship. The official residences of the Korean Mission to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Mun are good examples of the esthetic qualities of hanji interiors.' Cha Jong-sun Professor at Yewon Arts University, Hanji Formative Arts Department Ban Ki-Mun, Secretary General of the United Nations Hanji has been showing a resurgence in popularity of late as people are turning to more environmentally friendly lifestyles where the importance of a good quality of life is paramount.   One of the ambassadors for this is General Ban Ki-Mun and his wife who have recently worked in collaboration with he Hanji Formative Arts Department of Yewon Arts University in decorating the Guest Room of the UN Secretary General’s official residence in New York and the official residence of the Korean Mission to the UN with  hanji. It's believed...

I found these  at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul. It's an interesting explanation of some of the symbols and meanings of items we put onto our hanji pieces.  There are other explanations as well but this collection seems to be quite succinct.  I love the explanations of the butterfly and the cat and I'm sure there must be reasons behind these meanings. I'd love to know more.