Collect is always one of the highlights of the early Spring calendar. This year Korean glass artists will be particularly well-represented, with Korea’s Gallery Sklo exhibiting again and a selection of pieces from last year’s International Festival of Glass special exhibition making their way down to London. In addition, Han Collection will be presenting their strong collection of ceramics from Icheon-based artists, and Lloyd Choi will be bringing some new discoveries. And Seoul’s recently established Siat Gallery will be making its first appearance at Collect.
Lloyd Choi Gallery
Booth: East Wing E7 | Webpage
Lloyd Choi Gallery represents craftsmanship-led contemporary Korean artists and designers. The gallery believes in the power of art to enlighten, a concept rooted firmly in Korean tradition. The thorough knowledge of materials, the masterful skill and meditative processes create an alchemic reaction that moves beyond the boundaries of craft, design and fine art.
For Collect 2023, the gallery continues its focus on the new generation of contemporary craft makers and will present two European-based Korean artists who are exhibiting in London for the first time.
Artists
Cho Hee-jin (ceramics) | Cho Sung-ho (silver) | Kim Hyun-ju (metal, mother-of-pearl) | Kwak Hye-young (ceramics) | Lee Sora (textiles) | Mok-su (wood) | Lydia SJ Park (ceramics) | Yusun Won (ceramics)
Icheon Ceramic by Han Collection
Booth: South Wing, S13 | Webpage
Han Collection is proudly partnering with Icheon Ceramic to bring works of art of exceptional quality and craftsmanship to the UK. Icheon is a small city to the south-east of Seoul, the capital of South Korea. Since 2010, it has been designated as a UNESCO City for Arts and Folk Art. It is home to over 500 studios where Korean ceramic artists tirelessly pursue beauty through combining ancient techniques and modern sensibilities.
Han Collection was founded in London in 2006 with the aim of bringing outstanding Korean contemporary art and antiques to an international audience. Through its commitment and expertise, it presents Korean art that expresses an authentic vision, superb craftsmanship and an intellectual engagement with world audiences.
Artists
Han Do-hyun (ceramics) | Kim Dae-hoon (ceramics) | Kim Hee-jong (ceramics) | Kim Hyun-Jong (ceramic) | Kim Pan-ki (ceramics) | Lee Chang-soo (ceramics) | Lee Han-ah (ceramics) | Na Young-hwan (ceramics) | Noh Seung-chul (ceramics) | Park Ji-young (ceramics) | Park Rae-heon (ceramics) | Shin Chul (ceramics) | Shin Won-dong (ceramics) | Song Gil-seop (wood) | Yang Jeom-mo (lacquer)
Gallery Sklo
Booth: South Wing, S3 | Webpage
Founded in 2003, Gallery Sklo is the first and only art gallery specialising in contemporary glass art in Korea, presenting emerging and established glass artists as well as international ones. By breaking down the wall of prejudice that glass is a craft material and expanding it into the contemporary art scene, it is creating a new collector.
Work by four glass artists together with metal and textile artists – including Jiyong Lee and Yongjin Chung, who were finalists of the LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize in 2021 and 2022 – will be shown at Collect 2023. Gallery Sklo has participated in major domestic and foreign art fairs such as KIAF Seoul (Korea), SOFA Chicago, Art Palm Beach (USA) and others.
Artists
Hyesook Choi (glass) | Yongjin Chung (metal) – LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize previous finalist | Kira Kim (glass) | Yong Joo Kim (textiles) | Jaiik Lee (metal) – LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize 2023 finalist | Jiyong Lee (glass) – LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize previous finalist | Sunghoon Park (glass)
International Festival of Glass
Booth: South Wing, S12 | Webpage
Since its inception in 2004, the festival has developed into the leading event for glass in the UK through exploring and sharing the skill and innovation of glassmakers from around the world, especially through the flagship British Glass Biennale exhibition.
Appearing for the first time at Collect, the International Festival of Glass showcases 28 artists from Japan, South Korea and China who featured in its 2022 Expanding Horizons exhibition and deserve wider recognition for their innovative, exquisite work. It includes respected masters, such as Hiroshi Yamano and Jiyong Lee, alongside rising stars Youngho Park, Daisuke Takeuchi and Zhenning Li.
Artists
Eunsuh Choi (glass) | Hyesook Choi (glass) | Meng Du (glass) | Donghai Guan (glass) | Xi Han (glass) | Ayako Hirogaki (glass) | Sung-hwan Hong (glass) | Ayuko Iizuka (glass) | Satoshi Ishida (glass) | Kwang Min Jung (glass) | Yukako Kojima (glass) | Jiyong Lee (glass) – LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize previous finalist | Zhenning Li (glass) | Keiko Mukaide (glass) | Momo Omuro (glass) | Youngho Park (glass) | Yukiko Sugano (glass) | Michi Suzuki (glass) | Makiko Takahashi (glass, mixed media) | Daisuke Takeuchi (glass) | Sakiyo Takeuchi (glass) | Ayako Tani (glass) | Yoko Togashi (glass) | Midori Tsukada (glass) | Ryoko Tsukurimichi (glass) | Hiroshi Yamano (glass) | Liyue Zhu (glass) | Xiaowei Zhuang (glass)
Siat Gallery
Booth: West Wing, W15 | Webpage
Founded in 2019, Siat Gallery focuses on showcasing various curated exhibitions, introducing a wide spectrum of contemporary arts and crafts, especially Korean contemporary art jewellery. It organises exhibitions with very specific themes to introduce works of emerging artists and help renowned artists expand their limits.
The word ‘siat’ is derived from a Korean word meaning seed. Although very small in its form, a seed carries the potential to grow into a tree, bloom flowers and bear fruits. Like its name, Siat Gallery aims to be the seed that sprouts and grows to offer original and creative Korean art to a wider public.
The selected artists for Collect 2023 have produced artworks such as contemporary art jewellery, objets and wall pieces under the theme ‘Kyeol: Beyond Fine and Rough’.
Artists
Junsu Kim (leather) – LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize previous finalist | Sooyeon Kim (jewellery) | Joo Hyung Park (jewellery) | Healim Shin (jewellery) – LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize 2023 finalist | Jaesun Won (jewellery)
Korean artists in other galleries
Here’s a non-exhaustive list:
- Yeena Yoon (jewellery): Goldsmiths Fair South Wing, S2
- Kim Jin-eui, Myung Nam An (ceramics): Cube Gallery East Wing, E18
- Ahryun Lee (ceramics): PIK’D, East Wing E17