Display celebrates Korea arts, crafts

By Vicki Viotti
Advertiser Staff Writer

The work of artisan Wan Soon Kim, left, will be on display to mark the Korean immigration centennial. Chung-ik Cho's fan designs, right, are variations on a yin-yang motif.

A fan exhibition, featuring the work of artisans Chung-ik Cho and Wan Soon Kim, will be on display throughout the courtyard gallery, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., through Aug. 1. The display is among many activities marking the centennial of Korean immigration to the United States.

The show will spotlight Cho's fans that incorporate a red, blue and yellow version of the tae-geuk (yin-yang) design. Kim, who favors natural dyes in her award-winning work, creates rich floral motifs and scenes with figures in traditional costume, in muted earth tones.

Korea's Jeonbuk province is famous for the high-quality rice paper used in these crafts (the exhibition also features decorated boxes and other items), said Hyoncha Koga, who is organizing the exhibition for the centennial committee.

The provincial government has declared Cho a living treasure — a treasure whose art is vacationing for two weeks in Honolulu.