Rethinking arts at Craft Trend Fair 2024

Crafts can be cool, too

The 19th Craft Trend Fair held at Coex in southern Seoul, Dec. 12-15 (Korea Craft and Design Foundation)

Crafts can be more than pottery, knitwear and handmade knickknacks for the house. Ultimately, crafts are expressions of creativity, and take many forms.

This idea was on display at the 19th edition of the Craft Trend Fair, held Dec. 12-15 at Coex in southern Seoul, where visitors were encouraged to think outside the box.

The four-day event, held under the theme “Extraordinary Objects that Shine in My Life,” invited visitors to explore the idea that luxury is not limited to rare or expensive items. Rather, we can find “everyday luxury” in crafts ranging from high-end goods made by artisans to the most ordinary things used in our daily lives.

One unique item on display was a gold-leaf magnet shaped like a fish -- a pollack, which is a staple of Korean cuisine -- made with a 3D printer, a high-tech way to do creative projects.

A pollack magnet made with a 3D printer is displayed at the Craft Trend Fair on Dec. 13. (Park Jun-hee/The Korea Herald)

“The artistry of handmade goods stands out with their uniqueness, but such goods are becoming less common as people seek out items with a more modern touch. A case in point is crafts. But the items we make, such as the pollack magnet, blend the old and the new through modern interpretations,” Jang Min-jee, the director of the design brand Vergum Making, who has taken part in the fair for three consecutive years, told The Korea Herald on Dec. 13.

“Instead of limiting crafts to those that are handmade, our brand aims to explore new ways of crafting, and that is through 3D printers. Crafts can be seen everywhere. It’s more about developing an idea and turning it into objects,” Jang added.

Objects made with gold ceramic glaze, pottery such as plates decorated with cloisonne enamel, and handkerchiefs and hair pins made from upcycled hanbok fabric also took center stage during the event.

Lee Seung-bin, a visitor in her 20s from Daegu, said she realized fabric crafts with an upcycled twist could also be beautiful.

Fashion items made from upcycled hanbok fabric are displayed at the Craft Trend Fair on Dec. 13. (Park Jun-hee/The Korea Herald)

“I never knew that fashion accessories such as hair pins, hair ties or bandanas could be cute crafts made from upcycled hanbok fabric. I hope more people will dive into the beauty of Korea’s traditional culture and crafts through this event,” Lee said.

According to the Korea Craft and Design Foundation, which organized the event, some 296 exhibitors, including overseas galleries and craft institutions -- including those from Italy, Japan and Taiwan -- showcased the aesthetics of each nation’s crafts and featured works of under-the-radar artisans.

Seminars held on the sidelines of the craft fair saw experts discuss how to advance the craft industry. Among those who participated in the sessions were popular Korean author and YouTuber Cho Seung-yeon, Executive Director of the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship Alberto Cavalli, and Yuji Akmioto, the executive director of “Go For Kogei.”