Press Release. Positions in Contemporary Korean Lacquer Art October 25, 2015 February 7, 2016

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1 Press Release Positions in Contemporary Korean Lacquer Art October 25, 2015 February 7, 2016 Julia Kroker Phone: Mobile: The special exhibition Positions in Contemporary Korean Lacquer Art showcases select objects by well-known artists that offer a privileged insight into present-day lacquer art on the Korean peninsula. Currently, the country s lacquer artists are applying a variety of techniques from the treasury of the Korean tradition and interpreting them anew. The objects being presented at the Museum of Lacquer Art testify to the special and independent path that has been pursued by Korean lacquer artists since the turbulent times their country went through in the last century. In 2012/13 Dr. Patricia Frick was curator for the highly successful exhibition Korean Lacquer Art: Aesthetic Perfection at the Museum of Lacquer Art. Following the positive response to the exhibition and its associated catalogue Dr. Frick felt the desire to give deeper consideration to further aspects of Korean lacquerwork. Both on my travels in Korea and at international conferences I have had the opportunity to meet Korean lacquer artists, explains the curator, and these encounters have inspired me to make a closer study of this particular 21 st -century art form and make it the subject of a special exhibition. After having sponsored the 2012/13 exhibition, the Korea Foundation has not only continued to give Patricia Frick

2 Page 2 hearty support and encouragement but has also agreed to act as sponsor for her second project in this field. Dr. Frick points out that Positions in Contemporary Korean Lacquer Art is an exhibition with many facets, highlighting not only diversity and continuity but also innovation, contemporary relevance, and the modern interpretation of traditional craft techniques. Patricia Frick selected the artists in accordance with two criteria: while they had to be using traditional techniques for constructing and finishing their lacquer objects, they also had to have broken away from the traditional forms and motifs of Korean lacquer art in order to pursue independent paths of their own. Prominent amongst the traditional techniques are the so-called dry lacquer technique and the inlaying of lacquer with mother-of-pearl, both of which are in evidence in the work of the Korean artists selected. Furthermore, all nine artists have completed university studies in addition to their training in the craft of lacquerwork. In addition, some have spent time studying in other Asian countries apart from Korea which has frequently proved to be an important source of inspiration for their creative work. When asked what she personally considers to be special about the exhibition, Patricia Frick answered that it shows how traditional techniques of Korean lacquerwork are being innovatively applied and reinterpreted for our own time. However, said the sinologist and expert for East Asian art, one could only fully appreciate this by seeing all the objects in their totality; the exhibition s special character and message could not be conveyed by spotlighting any one of the chosen pieces. Every one of the nine artists, the curator emphasized, possessed an exceptional oeuvre with a special character of its own.

3 Page 3 The artists whose works will be presented at the exhibition in Münster are the following: CHOE Young Keun CHUNG Hae Cho CHUNG Young Hwan JUNG Yong Ju KIM Seol KIM Sung Soo LEE Hwa Jin LEE Eun Hee MOON Young Sic The works, which cover a time span of three decades, are on loan from the respective artists and from private collectors. The exhibition runs from October 25, 2015 to February 7, 2016 at the Museum of Lacquer Art, Münster, Germany. Contact for press inquiries: Julia Kroker Head of Marketing and Communication Phone Fax julia.kroker@basf.com Catalogue The comprehensive catalogue published with the exhibition will be available in the museum shop. Opening hours The museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday and on public holidays from noon to 6:00 p.m. and Tuesdays from noon to 8:00 p.m.

4 Page 4 Guided tours of the special exhibition Every Tuesday at 5.30 pm. Admission is free on Tuesdays. The guided tour costs 2. The Museum of Lacquer Art The Museum of Lacquer Art is a facility owned by BASF in Münster. It is home to a globally unique collection of lacquer art from East and Southeast Asia, Europe and the Islamic world, presenting objects from over two millennia. Individual aspects of traditional and contemporary lacquer art are dealt with in greater detail in special exhibitions. BASF is celebrating its 150th anniversary in Windthorststrasse Münster Phone +49 (0) 251 /

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6 Page 6 Press photos Bowl by KIM Seol; 33,5 x 58 cm; hemp, lacquer, mother-of-pearl Echo of the Beginning of the World by CHOE Young Keun; 120 x 120 x 3,5 cm; lacquer, mother-of-pearl, coloured lacquer fragments Lacquer object by JUNG Yong Ju; 60 x 12 x 60 cm; hemp, lacquer Set of five small cups by CHUNG Hae Cho; 12 x 12 cm (each); hemp, lacquer One of eight square lacquer paintings by LEE Hwa Jin; 30 x 30 x 1,5 cm (each); hemp, lacquer, mother-of-pearl The Big Bang by CHOE Young Keun; 90 x 90 x 3,2 cm; lacquer, mother-ofpearl

7 Page 7 Set of seven objects by MOON Young Sic; 11,5 x 12,5 cm, 8,5 x 12 cm, 7 x 11 cm, 10,5 x 10,5 cm, 7 x 10,5 cm, 4 x 10 cm, 3 x 9 cm; hemp, lacquer Set of three small lacquer paintings by LEE Hwa Jin; 28 x 15 x 1,5 cm (each); hemp, silk, lacquer, mother-of-pearl Set of three boxes by KIM Seol; 42 x 24 x 24 cm, 18 x 11 x 9 cm, 10 x 6 x 4 cm; hemp, lacquer, mother-of-pearl Set of five small cups by CHUNG Hae Cho; 12 x 12 cm (each); hemp, lacquer