Seoul, Korea
Park Myung Bae creates traditional furniture in wood that he allows to rest for seven years before crafting it. Sohn Dae Hyun applies the ancient art of lacquering to a diverse range of materials. Park Moon Yeol chisels ornamentation into metal pieces such as locks and padlocks. Park Sung Kyu participates to the conservation of the leather lacquering technique.
These artisans, all custodians of the excellence of contemporary Korean craftsmanship, were chosen to rekindle know-how that existed under the Joseon dynasty (1392-1897). The Arumjigi Culture Keepers Foundation, whose mission is to preserve and support traditional Korean culture, entrusted them with the painstaking task of recreating objects that furnished the palaces of Seoul. A long and meticulous period of research in museums, seeking out treasures from the past and forgotten techniques, allowed them to reproduce copies of these precious repositories of Korean culture. This project represents an important stage in the “One Protector for One Cultural Heritage” program developed with the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea, which has been supported since 2015 by Hermès, a house that particularly values the safeguarding and transmission of artisanal know-how.
