[Design Forum] Loewe Craft Prize spurs conversation on Korean craft

From left: Curator Cho Hye-young; Jung Myung-taek, artist and professor at Yeungnam University; Jeong Da-hye, winner of the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize in 2022; and Choi Kee-ryong, artist and professor at the University of Edinburgh, speak at a Design Talk session entitled "The Loewe Foundation Craft Prize: Its Role and Objectives” on Tuesday at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul. (Lee Sang-sub/The Korea Herald)

After winning the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize in 2022, craft artist Jeong Da-hye found the biggest change was a shift in mindset -- a newfound confidence in the path she is pursuing as an artist.

“Horsehair craft itself has a long and rich history, but I was not sure if what I was doing truly had value or meaning. Winning the award felt like encouragement to continue, and since then, I’ve dared to try many new things, with many calls internationally to collaborate,” Jeong said Tuesday at a Design Talk session entitled “The Loewe Foundation Craft Prize: Its Role and Objectives” at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul.

The talk, part of Design Miami.In Situ Seoul, was moderated by curator Cho Hye-young with Jeong joined by Jung Myung-taek, an artist and professor at Yeungnam University, and Choi Kee-ryong, an artist and professor at the University of Edinburgh.

Jeong is the first Korean winner of the prestigious craft award, earning the award with “A Time of Sincerity,” a basket created from woven horsehair. Jung and Choi were named as finalists for the same craft award in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

Jeong recalled how she came up with the creation by reimagining horsehair craft beyond its traditional use for hats and ornaments of the Joseon era (1392-1910).

Craft artist Jeong Da-hye, winner of the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize in 2022 (Lee Sang-sub/The Korea Herald)

“One day I went to the National Museum of Korea and saw the pottery exhibition from the era of the Gaya confederacy from the third to sixth centuries. I was fascinated by the pottery works with their simple, yet powerful forms.

“By borrowing these forms and re-creating them in horsehair, I thought I could convey the solidity I had felt in the material, and that became the basis for some of my works,” she said.

Choi said what the Loewe Craft Prize has brought to the craft world is a shift in perception about craft works and craft artists, breaking old stereotypes that such works are stale and tedious.

“When asked about the most important contribution of the Loewe Craft Prize, I said it made craft ‘sexy,’” Choi said. “With the support of a luxury fashion house like Loewe, the prize created a platform where we can all celebrate together. In response, craftspeople produced outstanding works, contributing to a healthy ecosystem.”

During a Q&A session, an audience member asked the panelists, "What can I make that is something truly Korean?"

Jung said there is no need to cling to what is “Korean,” explaining that identity itself is something that constantly changes.

“Don’t force yourself to struggle with making something ‘Korean.’ If you were born and have lived in Korea, telling your own story is already Korean. Borrowing from elsewhere to make it ‘Korean' without sincerity won’t last in your work,” Jung said.