A space where people can gauge the present and future of Korean crafts
About 330 companies is participating…continues until the 11th at COEX Hall C.

Sayart.net
Maria Kim sayart2022@gmail.com

Korea’s largest craft festival, 2022 Craft Trend Fair, which celebrated its 17th anniversary this year, opened at COEX in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-GU, Seoul on the 8th.

Claiming to be the “most effective craft business exhibition”, this fair seeks to popularize and industrialize Korean craft culture by expanding the industrial and artistic values of crafts.

About 330 companies, including craft artists, galleries, workshops, and institutions, are participating in this year's event, showcasing their various works and interacting with the public.

The first day of the event was “Business Day” to strengthen support for the distribution of craft works. The organizers invited domestic and foreign buyers and companies that had pre-registered on the day, and were busy running around to vitalize trade craft works.

 

▲ Photo by ReaA Jung, SayArt.net

 

“This exhibition is a big festival in the Korean craft world. We are heading to the world market. For unity and consistency, we collaborated with TEO Yang, who was selected as one of the world's top 100 designers this year. This event is a place where you can meet not only Korea's best craft artists, but also up-and-coming artists. It is a place where you can gauge the present and future of Korean crafts, so I hope that many audiences will be able to see the potential of Korean crafts and enjoy it. ” The chairman of the fair, Kim Tae Hoon said

 

▲ Jiyoon Yang, The Shape of Water. Photo by ReaA Jung, SayArt.net

 

The event is divided into the theme hall, gallery hall, brand hall, and a creative workshop hall, and is held along with various related programs.

The space where the purpose of the event is well expressed is the theme hall. In this hall, People can meet the thoughts of craftsmen and their solutions to various problems of the present era, such as standardized daily life, loss of humanity, and destruction of nature and the environment. In particular, This exhibition hall has also been created as an online viewing room for those who cannot come to the exhibition hall.

▲ Han Sang Koo, Blue and white ware. Photo by ReaA Jung, SayArt.net

 

The rest of the halls also welcome People with various themes and works.

In the Gallery Hall, People can see high-quality works produced by professional galleries and cultural and artistic institutions, in the Brand Hall, practical works by craft companies and workshops, and in the Creative Studio Hall, novel and original crafts made by talented craftsmen.

The organizers have been preparing for the event since last June by revealing various entries on the official website and Instagram.

▲ Hyejung Shin, Visbilly in Visbity. Photo by ReaA Jung, SayArt.net

 

In particular, on the first day of the opening, in the online auction held by famous entertainer Lee Kwang-Ki, all the entries were sold out, surprising the surroundings.

The duration of the event is four days in total. From the 9th to the 11th, 12 crafts experts participate as “docents” and explain their works to the audience.

This event is hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and supervised by the Korea Craft & Design Foundation. The event continues until the 11th at COEX Hall C.