Solid Beauty: The Beauty of Metal Craft

Metal with cold properties sometimes enables you to feel warmth when it becomes a work of art. Meet various metal craftworks produced by Korean metal crafters.

Tableware by Kang Heeseong, Shim Hyunseok, Kim HyunseongKorea Craft & Design Foundation

Metal is superior to any craft material in terms of durability and functions. Meet variations of metal, ranging from small objects made of silver, copper, and stainless steel to lighting and furniture. 

Metal Objects (2017) by Lee SeonghyunKorea Craft & Design Foundation

Lee Seonghyun, "Metal Objects"

The rigid and standardized properties of the metal were expressed in a natural form by hammering and welding. These objects highlight solid texture and shapes like small pillars

Dessert Picks by Goh HeeseungKorea Craft & Design Foundation

Goh Heeseung, "Dessert Picks"

Goh Heeseung makes atypical ornaments that emphasize the physical properties of primitive and natural materials. Goh made dessert picks using his well-known Fingerprint series. They are made of sterling silver and are 9 to 15cm long, respectively.

Layered Steel by Hwang HyunshinKorea Craft & Design Foundation

Hwang Hyunshin, "Layered Steel"

This work is an extension of Hwang Hyungshin’s experiment, which began by stacking abandoned bricks or concrete pieces together. This project, which allowed a geometric structure to act as furniture, was made of stainless steel.

Objects by Lee YoonjungKorea Craft & Design Foundation

Lee Yoonjung, "Objects"

Lee Yoonjung’s nail series and other works. Lee develops her work by giving new meaning to the nails that provide an incidental function rather than being the subject of the artwork.

Aluminum Panel Reception (2021) by Lee Yoonjung, Shin YooncheolKorea Craft & Design Foundation

Lee Yoonjung, "Aluminum Panel Reception"

Lee Yoonjung’s large-scale work. This aluminum panel was completed with the assistance and skills of artisan Shin Yooncheol, with whom she has worked with for years.

Copper Composition by Kim JungsubKorea Craft & Design Foundation

Kim Jungsub, "Copper Composition"

A stool in the Copper Composition series by artist Kim Jungseop, who consistently introduces art furniture through experiments with various materials. It features a smooth and refined silhouette and a mysterious color that reflects light from a number of angles.   

Teaware by Ryu YeonheeKorea Craft & Design Foundation

Ryu Yeonhee, "Teaware"

These are recent works by Ryu Yeonhee. The artist’s identity is found in flexibility— unlike metal—so Ryu formed free shapes and created a beauty out of incompleteness. The mini-cup can be used for storing coffee beans or sugar, for example.

Tableware by Kang Heeseong, Shim Hyunseok, Kim HyunseongKorea Craft & Design Foundation

"Tableware"

This is a combination of various metal objects, one of the unique areas of metal craft.

Convergence by Park JoohyungKorea Craft & Design Foundation

Park Joohyung, "Convergence"

Park Joohyung mainly expresses the formative and symbolic theme of convergence. Park’s pendant light, titled "Convergence," was created by plating silver on brass.

Brass Chair by Kim HyunsungKorea Craft & Design Foundation

Kim Hyunsung, "Brass Chair"

Kim Hyunsung started "furniture experiment" with a question of whether it is possible to make large-scale works with metal craft. After laser-cutting metal sheets, Kim later collaborated with a welding specialist and a bending service provider.

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