Join us for an evening talk by South Korean artist Seeun Kim on traditional Korean jewellery.
Have you ever heard of the Silla Dynasty? The Silla Dynasty originated from the Three Kingdoms of Korea (Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla). In the Three Kingdom period of Korea, the development of ornaments was subdivided and today we can see the extensive history of metal crafts. Among them, the Silla period can be said to be the golden age of the development of Korean ornaments.
Moreover, in the Silla period, science and technology were also highly developed and metal processing techniques such as metallurgy, gold, copper working and plating were developed significantly. Furthermore, ceramics and lacquers were exported to China and Japan as Silla’s special products. The historical, cultural and social backgrounds of Silla were very impressive to South Korean artist Seeun Kim and inspired her to undertake various traditional Korean jewellery projects with the Oriental Museum.
In this talk, Seeun Kim will introduce her traditional Korean jewellery project of the Korean art history series to the public in her lecture at the Oriental Museum. Seeun Kim is an Oxford-based South Korean metal craftswoman and educator. From her perspective, she believes that the human hand is a gift from human evolution. Even though today there are several technologies, handicraft products have a high scarcity and sophisticated beauty compared to mass– produced manmade products. Furthermore, there is an inexpressible complexity in the handicraft world that a machine cannot imitate. Seeun loves making things and believes in their value. Her main skills are delicate metal skills and since 2012 she has made over 1000 metal works to refine her sophisticated handicraft skills.
Also, over 100 of her major works have been acquired by globally respected museums including the Oriental Museum – Durham University, National Museum of Scotland; the UK, Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art – Cornell University, International Art Museum of America; the USA, Iksan Jewellery Museum, Byeokbong Korea Jewellery Museum, World Jewellery Museum Seoul and Korea National University Museum of Cultural Heritage – Korea Heritage Service; the Republic of Korea for the permanent public collections. In addition, Seeun Kim’s art history project has been posted to the archives of the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation in Germany, which means she is the first Korean to be listed on the Korean part of the Digital Atlas of Design and Art Education beyond the Bauhaus.
The talk will cover the below topics and will also include a private view of Seeun’s jewellery in the Oriental Museum collection:
- The Introduction of the Silla Dynasty
- The Social, Cultural and Historical Backgrounds of the Silla Dynasty
- The Introduction of the Joseon Dynasty
- The Social, Cultural and Historical Backgrounds of the Joseon Dynasty
- The development and preservation of traditional Korean ornaments today