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Korean galleries at Collect 2021 (online edition)

Collect 21 Highlights
L to R: Lee Sora: Ottchil Jogakbo no.3, (2019). Salvaged ramie fabrics, Ottchil (Korean natural lacquer) and handstitched. Hanging with bamboo. 203 × 127 cm (Lloyd Choi Gallery) | Chang Yeonsoon: The Path Which Leads to Center G202006 (2020). Teflon mesh, pure gold leaf, eco-friendly resin, Artist’s own technique. 57 × 57 × 13 cm (Gallery LVS) | Kim Hyun-jong: White Porcelain Bottle with Tree Decoration (2018). White porcelain, cobalt, iron glaze, transparent glaze. 51 × 19.5 cm (Icheon Ceramic by Han Collection). Images courtesy the galleries

COLLECT moves online this year, 26 February – 2 March 2021. There are some lovely Korean pieces to see thanks to the commitment of three galleries, and images of the items are online now. Lloyd Choi Gallery is participating remotely from Jeju Island, and their physical exhibition there stays open until 15 March. Details and links for the participating galleries are below.

Icheon Ceramic, by Han Collection

View exhibition on Artsy | Han Collection website | Page on COLLECT website

Artists represented: Yu Yong-cheol | Seo Gwang-soo | Lee Kyu-tak | Lee Hyang-koo | Jung Se-wook | Park Rae-heon | Han Do-hyun | Kim Se-yong | Kim Pan-ki | Kim Hyun-jong | Yon Ho-kyung | Min Seung-ki | Shin Won-dong | Won Seung-sang | Lee Song-am

Yu Yong-cheol: Moon Jar - Icheon Ceramic
Yu Yong-cheol: Moon Jar with Cheonmok Glaze (2014). Stoneware, buncheong technique, sancheong clay. 36 × 40 cm

Han Collection is proudly partnering with Icheon Ceramic in South Korea and is pleased to showcase its exquisite ceramics. On the outskirts of Seoul, the city of Icheon is home to about 500 studios where Masters and ceramic artists tirelessly pursue the highest quality of production and level of craftsmanship.

The tradition of Korean ceramic production is preserved and passed on, granting the city the title of UNESCO City for Crafts and Folk Art. Each artist has a unique approach to traditional shapes and techniques, bringing to life pieces that combine ancient traditions and modern sensibilities. Evoking ancient times with a modern feeling to them, these outstanding works of art are stunning both in any setting.

White porcelain, its purity reflecting a desire for restraint and understatement, celadon and ‘buncheong’, indigenous to Korea, are among the techniques that will be shown at the fair.

Among the artists that are joining us this year are established Masters who have devoted their life to this ancient art, such as Masters Kim Pan-ki and Kim Se-yong, whose works have been stunning international audiences for many years.

Material Dialogue, by Lloyd Choi Gallery

View exhibition on Artsy | Lloyd Choi Gallery website | Page on COLLECT website
26 FEB – 15 MAR | 18-Gil 32 Shindaero, Jeju Island, South Korea

Artists represented: Cho Sung-ho (silver) Finalist of the LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize | Choi Boram (ceramic) | Kim Hyun-ju (metal, mother of pearl) | Kwak Hye-young (ceramic) | Lee Geum-young (ceramic) | Lee Sora (textile) | Park Hong-gu (wood) | Park Sung-youl (natural lacquer) Finalist of the LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize | Park Sung-wook (ceramic) | Yun Ju-cheol (ceramic) | Whang Sam-yong (mother of pearl)

For Collect 2021 digital art fair, Lloyd Choi Gallery will be in residence at Gallery O, NEUL in Jeju-do, a remote Island in South Korea. O, NEUL is situated in a traditional island house, at the heart of a busy district, surrounded by volcanic landscapes. Lloyd Choi Gallery will warmly welcome visitors to Collect into this unique gallery space.

Another Pearl by Kim Hyun-ju, 2020
Kim Hyun-ju: Another Pearl — White (2020). Mother-of-pearl and nickel, 19.3 × 55 × 17 cm. Photo by Moon Ray Studio

Material Dialogue explores the conversations in craft: those between artist and materials, the materials themselves and between tradition and contemporary practice. In the realm of Korean tradition, the mastering of craft techniques is a meditational process that can only be achieved by emptying the conscious mind and understanding the materials true nature. Just as with the master Korean craftsmen of old, self-isolation is everyday life to the craft artists today. The artists spend hours, days, months in silence, alone and in dialogue with their materials. In their times of solitude, the artists are guided by the natural properties of the materials, working with and not against them. Like us in our experience of the last year, they felt lost at the beginning of the process but found composure within their dialogue with materials.

The exhibition will present eleven Korean master craftsmen and established artists who are working with ceramics, metal, mother of pearl, natural lacquer, silver and textile including two of Loewe Craft Prize 2020 finalists, Cho Sung-Ho and Park Sung-Youl whom are new to the Collect.

Gallery LVS

View exhibition on Artsy | Gallery LVS website | Page on COLLECT website

Artists represented: Chang Yeonsoon | Mun Pyung | Lee Yong-soon | Kim Dong-jun | Ernst Gamperl | Sylvie Enjalbert | Bodil Manz

Mun Pyung: Snow-Clad Moon Jar
Mun Pyung: Snow-Clad Moon Jar (2020). Porcelain. 59 × 52 cm

At this year’s London COLLECT 2021, Gallery LVS & Craft looks forward to present the works of three internationally renowned craft artists (Ernst Gamperl, Sylvie Enjalbert, and Bodil Manz), along with three Korean contemporary artists (Yeonsoon Chang, Yong Soon Lee, and Pyung Mun). Each artist from different countries achieves the beauty through their unique technique, concepts, and materials. Ernst Gamperl and Sylvie Enjalbert seek natural beauty in their works through interacting with naturally fallen trees and exposing the soil without using glaze, respectively. Bodil Manz and Yeonsoon Chang’s works compact the artists’ researches on history and oriental philosophy(Zen) through using simple geometric shapes in their works. Lastly, Yong Soon Lee and Pyung Mun are descending the history of Korean Moon Jar and re-interpreted in their own styles.

By gathering different craft works at COLLECT 2021, Gallery LVS & Craft expects the viewers to experience the diversity and to exchange the innovative ideas in contemporary craft.

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