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Korean heritage is reimagined at Design Miami's exhibit at DDP

Published: 26 Aug. 2025, 07:00 Updated: 26 Aug. 2025, 14:08

LEE JIAN
[email protected]

Curator Cho Hye-young poses for photos at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Jung District, central Seoul, on Aug. 30. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Long gone are the days when Korean craft was only known for ancient porcelain moon jars.

From delicate handicraft infused with heritage to stylish art furniture and modern accessories, Korean-made collectible designs have been quietly building traction over the past five years, coveted by celebrities and affluent collectors in the know — mostly abroad.

Bringing that buzz to the artists’ home country is a Florida-based design fair — Design Miami — set to hold a special Seoul exhibition titled “Illuminated: A Spotlight on Korean Design” from Sept. 2 to 14. Marking the fair’s Asian debut, it is organized under the patronage of the Seoul Design Foundation at architect Zaha Hadid’s Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Jung District, central Seoul.

Twelve international galleries, including the Carpenters Workshop Gallery, Salon 94 Design and Objects With Narratives, and four Korean galleries, are set to feature over 170 works by 71 Korean and Korean diaspora artists.

"Blue and Orange Bar Stool" (2025) by Sohn Dong-hoon for Side Gallery [SIDE GALLERY]

The exhibit’s curator, Cho Hye-young, considers the current spotlight on Korean crafts and designs to be a product of the country's natural tendencies from a generation of artists whose crafts are now coming to fruition after around a decade of practice.

“Korea has a long history of craft traditions of some 7,000 to 10,000 years, and handling materials with our hands is deeply embedded in our culture,” Cho told the Korea JoongAng Daily in an interview on Wednesday at the DDP. “We don’t keep our hands still. Even while watching TV, our mothers are always doing something, like peeling garlic or sewing. It is also why, when Koreans watch someone work, they often think, ‘I could do that too.’”

That cultural heritage has culminated in modern K-craft, from Lee Hun-chung’s contemporary interpretations of the moon jar — a white porcelain vase shaped like a full moon originating in the 18th century — purchased by Brad Pitt and James Turrell, to Jeong Da-hye’s delicate, horsehair-woven baskets, which won the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize in 2022.

"A Time of Sincerity" (2025) by Jeong Da-hye for Soluna Fine Craft [SOLUNA FINE CRAFT]

Their works are part of the craft industry’s evolving status, existing in the liminal space between fine art and functional design, technique and attitude.

Take, for instance, Lee’s cracked, pockmarked and dented moon jars or Sohn Dong-hoon’s playfully colored bar stools made from recycled plastic. Glassblower Kim Joon-young takes a more philosophical approach with glass bowls and cups that capture the essence of a tangible art form. Up-and-coming ceramic artist Pyun Yae-rin draws inspiration from nature, layering clay over stones for the base, topping it with moss and flowers, which are burned in the kiln to create a unique porous surface.

“In some ways, global contemporary art is shifting in ways that reflect what craft has long practiced. In the past, contemporary art emphasized concept; now it engages with materials, techniques and processes much like our traditional artisans have,” Cho said.

"Door" (2022) by Kim Kyoung-hee [KIM KYOUNG-HEE]

Cho, who used to be a ceramic artist herself, is a renowned curator specializing in Korean craft and design exhibitions both in Korea and abroad. She has curated exhibits for the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and Milan Design Week, among many others. Cho currently sits on the Expert Panel for the Loewe Craft Prize and is Chairperson of the Korea Association of Art and Design.

The Korea JoongAng Daily spoke with Cho about the upcoming exhibition, “Illuminated: A Spotlight on Korean Design,” and the evolution of K-craft.

Excerpts have been edited and condensed for clarity and length.

"Unearthed Forms, Scotty" (2023) by Rhee We-on for Charles Burnand Gallery [MYOUNG STUDIO]

How did Design Miami.In Situ's “Illuminated: A Spotlight on Korean Design” come to take place in Seoul this year?

About three years ago, while working on a public art project in connection with Frieze, I began collaborating with the Seoul Design Foundation. During that process, I learned that the foundation had maintained a longstanding connection with Design Miami.

I worked as a bridge between the two, and eventually, all the parties came to realize that, from a practical standpoint, many visitors from overseas come to Seoul during the Frieze Seoul period in September, and Korea has a strong foundation in craft and design. So we thought it would be meaningful to highlight that. With K-culture now spreading worldwide, and with important collectors, museums and art institutions coming to Korea at this time, it felt like a missed opportunity not to address craft and design. That’s when the theme came together almost instantly.

Seoul is also a designated Unesco City of Design with DDP, the venue of the upcoming fair, being the city's landmark.

What can visitors expect to see?

We highlight artwork from artists across generations, but [designer and art furniture maker] Choi Byung-hoon serves as the benchmark for this show, as a veteran artist with international recognition and practice that fluidly runs through performance, design and fine art. Choi, who also taught at [Korea’s representative art school] Hongik University and mentored many talented students, including artist Jung Myung-taek [who makes meditative cast bronze furniture] and Lee Jung-in, a 2025 Loewe Foundation Craft Prize finalist for her hanji (traditional handmade Korean paper made from mulberry tree bark) chair. So we highlight Choi as the starting point, with younger generations building on and reinterpreting his legacy.

The exhibition also features a range of deeply traditional artisans and modern designers. With support from the National Heritage Agency, we were able to include masters such as cabinetmaker So Byung-jin, known for reinventing the traditional sabanggakja (four-sided table) for modern spaces. Another is bamboo blinds master Cho Dae-yong, the fourth generation in his family line, whose work appeared in the Netflix series “Kingdom” (2019-2021). On the other side of the spectrum are the designers, like [the duo behind the space design of the Seoul bakery cafe Onion] Fabrikr.

"Afterimage of beginning 018-499" (2018) by Choi Byung-hoon for Friedman Benda [FRIEDMAN BENDA/CHOI BYUNG-HOON]

Four Korean galleries are taking part. What were the selection criteria?

The main factors were whether the galleries are active internationally and whether they are specialized. For example, Gallery Sklo focuses exclusively on glass, while GalleryO works with accessories. Along with Soluna Fine Craft and Gallery LVS, these venues work year-round to promote their artists abroad. We wanted to highlight not only how these venues present Korea abroad, but also why they choose to represent certain Korean artists, whether it’s because their work sells or because it has global competitiveness.

Were there any notable artists who stood out to you as you were preparing the exhibit?

Yes, one of them is ceramic artist Pyun Yae-rin, represented by Soluna Art Group. Her work is so skilled that it’s hard to guess her age just by looking at her pieces. Jeong Da-hye, winner of the Loewe Craft Foundation in 2022, is also displaying new horsehair work at the fair. Among younger craft artists, Lee Tae-hoon also stands out — his technical mastery of glass is truly at the highest level.

How would you define K-craft?

Koreans have always been highly skilled with their hands. We don’t keep them still — even while watching TV, our mothers would be peeling garlic or sewing. That dexterity, combined with an intuitive grasp of materials, gives Korean artists a general sensitivity to begin with. Korean craft also often draws from traditional Korean heritage. Take [metalsmith] Cheon Woo-sun, for example, who welds wire piece by piece to create vessels, almost like drawing lines in the air. That sense of space, or rather the emptiness that fills the space, and the lines feel deeply traditional, apparent in Korean art as well. There’s also a strong practicality and elements of nature in Korean craft.

"Stone & Steel Bench" (2025) by Park Won-min for Carpenter’s Workshop [ISABELLA SZUKILOJC]

There is a view that craft is relegated in relation to fine art. What is your take?

Debates about whether something is craft or contemporary art continue in academia, but for me, the distinction is less relevant. Institutions like the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize are reframing the discussion by defining “fine craft,” which refers to works that push materials to extraordinary limits, creating objects that are as compelling as fine art.

Craft has always been intertwined with daily life, social change and display — sometimes functional, sometimes decorative. Today, it’s about interpreting material, which is also what contemporary art is about oftentimes these days.

BY LEE JIAN [[email protected]]