
Plate by Lee Taek-soo, placed on fragments of the Qing Dynasty pottery

Small dish by Lee In-jin

Plate by Lee Se-yong
Dawan, especially popular among Japanese shogun and their warriors some 600 years ago, was the primary bowl during the Joseon Dynasty. Built by potters of the Joseon era who were mostly treated with scorn and disrespect, dawan was used to serve soup or rice, depending on its size. The smallest types had side dishes. Dawan was never meant to be used for matcha. But Sen Rikyu, the great Japanese man of tea who was known only to bow before sheer beauty, preferred the modest Korean bowl to the more splashy bowls from Tang Dynasty. From that point and on, dawan became a bowl not just for rice or tea, but for the spirit of the Japanese power.
Some 600 years have passed since the Joseon Dynasty. We visited craft galleries that have inherited our traditional beauty or have applied it to modern use while maintaining practicality.

View of Susudeomdeom, with Namsan in the distance

Three types of sabal (bowls) by Kwon Dae-sup, placed on an antique table

Bowl by Kwon Dae-sup. Raw lacquered duleban (round table) by Jeong Sang-gil

Kettle, sukwoo (boiled water vessel) and tea cup by Lee In-jin
But pieces that are on display and on sale at Susudeomdeom aren’t just about practicality. Most of them are by artists who have fully inherited the traditional beauty of our craft and manufacturing process.
The opening exhibition for the new location featured Kwon Dae-sup, the potter best known for moon jars, and that tells you all you need to know about where Susudeomdeom is headed. RM of the K-pop sensation BTS once purchased one of Kwon’s moon jars and shared a photo on his social media. And RM also picked up a bowl from Kwon’s recent exhibition, ‘Sabal (bowl).’ Susudeomdeom has highlighted other artists, including Park Sung-wook, Ahn Si-sung, Lee Gyeong-no, Lee Heon-jeong, Lee In-jin and Lee Taek-soo.

Shelves exhibiting works by Lee Gyeong-no

Brazier inlaid with silver and rectangular hob by Lee Gyeong-no

Three-tier, circular nickel hob by Lee Gyeong-no
Park has been enjoying working with Lee Gyeong-no, the nationally-recognized silver inlay master craftsman. When the artist, for all his techniques, was caught in a hard spot between the tradition and the modern, the two put their heads together and discussed design and usage. Their final products have been particularly gratifying. Their collaborations will be unveiled at Cheongju Craft Biennale in 2021.
And of course, you can follow their progress by visiting Susudeomdeom.

View of an exhibition at Park Ryu Sook Gallery. You can see a painting by Lee Ufan and a moon jar by Kwon Dae-sup.
Phone +82-2-549-7575
Website www.parkryusookgallery.com

Plum-patterned white porcelain tea pot by Haeinyo
“There aren’t that many galleries of this ilk,” she said. “There are many large galleries and art museums exhibiting craftworks. I figured it’d be nice to have a small gallery that suited my taste.”
Insa-dong has had its ups and downs, but it hasn’t lost its identity. You will still see plenty of galleries and mounters.

View of Craft Jangsaengho

White porcelain valved vase, mug by Haeinyo

Black-glazed, rectangular plate by Lee Jae-won
Jeong hopes to do so much more. She has recently run multiple art projects, including Okindasil, aimed at promoting Korean tea culture; Git, which uses an old typography for printing; and Yeohang Craft with an eclectic group of artists. It was part of the 2020 Craft Week.
The latest project was inspired by ‘yeohang’ culture, referring to a new type of culture developed by the flourishing middle class in the late Joseon Dynasty. Those in the middle class who were relatively well off liked to gather to recite poetry, brag about paintings they bought, or to enjoy music and dance. Basically, our forefathers did in the 18th century what we do on Instagram today, when we post photos of our trip or latest purchase. They were “flexing” in their own ways then.

White porcelain baru (rice bowl for Buddhist monks) by Haeinyo

Goryeo celadon bowl, Joseon white porcelain vase, and glass bird by Kim Eun-joo are on display, as the traditional and the modern converge.

Craft Jangsaengho in Chinese characters, seen between stone statues

White porcelain moon jar by Haeinyo
Phone +82-739-5575
Instagram www.instagram.com/jangsaengho