Handmade Life: The Mother of Pearl & Wabu Workshop

About a Book :

Handmade life is an interview book focusing on Asian local art & culture. It was supported by Gyeonggi Province Cultural Foundation since 2016. It is proceeding in series of Korean Mother of Pearl, Knot, Embroidery. We record our culture and stories that disappear from our eyes, away from our hearts. First issue is about “Korean Mother of Pearl” written by English-Korean has five stories of life gathered along the mysterious light of lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Illuminate their work and stories in the workshop and share their wisdom to make a better life. This book is not just about introducing about Korean Mother of Pearl, but looked into the process of what they were thinking about making it and How young and old craftsmen interacts in the workshop. Crossing over to colorful themes such as Old and Young, Tradition and Modern, East and West, Craftsmen and Craftswomen, and Exploring future direction. 

About the Author :

SE O is a conceptualist that makes the idea concrete. He has been working as a concept planner in conceptualizing of brands in Korea, operating Pepper and Salt explores the values needed in our times. It is an independent research and life design lab focusing on investigations towards human thought and behavior that lead on our experience of special today. He serves as cultural bridges that inspire each other across the East and the West. Once a year, he travels around the world and makes Nomad Interview Magazine that illuminates valuable thoughts, people, and cultural phenomena and Handmade life that records stories of Asian local art and culture issued annually.

Korean Mother of Pearl by Hwang Sam Yong Exhibition

• Pebble Lacquered Objet Inlaid With Mother-Of-Pearl

Sizes are different by each pieces (about Height 5 width 10 × 7) (7 Pieces/Set)

• Description of Work

Gangwon province, Hongcheon river, made FRP, and coloring on it was finished with 0.4mm rosary. This work is opening a new horizon of Korean mother of pearl. ‘Cutting-up technique’ is to cut mother-of-pearl in slender strips and put them together to embody unintended pattern. The curved surfaces of the “pebbles”are adorned in a soft and smooth manner reminding us of reeds swaying in the wind. Of the Pebble Series, the thinthread colored mother-of-pearl “boulder” that is only 0.5mm thick took to complete, while the thickest one of 4.9 mm.The surfaces that had been lacquered were finished using classic mother-of-pearl techniques. 

• Biography

Born in Gosung, Gyeongsangnam province in 1959, he joined the Hwangyin Yongyang workshop, which was run by his brother in 1976, for 22 years. After his independence from his brother, he has lived as a subcontractor who fails to raise his name under the economic difficulties despite his unique skills. However, with his sincerity of doing everything his best, his ability to record was developed day by day and was selected as the author of the “Legal Works of Korean Crafts” in Milan in 2014 and exhibited in Milan, London Hangzhou China, and Sanfransisco Asian Art Museum in 2016.  Through this exhibition, his work attracted the attention of famous museums and collectors of the world and became a world-famous artist at once. Currently, he operates Wabu workshop in Namyangju city. He won the gold prize in 1992 for the “National Handicapped Art Competition” special prize and the 2012-2013 “Namyangju lacquer lacquer competition” gold prize.

• Collection

2016 San Fransisco Asian Art Museum

2014 ~ Present Wabu workshop operation

2015 COLLECT London, United Kingdom (*Damien Hirst )

The 40th Korea Traditional Handicraft Exhibition

2014 “Korean Lacquer Lacquer Modern and Modern Writers 33” Korea Lacquerware Museum

“The Foundation of Korean Crafts”, Milan, Italy, London, China Hangzhou, Korea, Seoul

2013 Korea Lacquerware Feature Competition Gold Prize

2012 Golden Lacquerware Feature Competition in Korea

2010 Production of hi-quality works based on the theme of tiger, turtle, bear, car, hanok, etc.

1992 Special Exhibition for National Disabled Persons

1976 ~ 1998 Hwang’s workshop