2022 Korea Fiber Art Biennale

When did fiber start to be used in human life? According to records, there are evidence of flax woven fabrics in Egypt as early as 5000 B.C. and yarns spun from Indian cotton around 3,500B.C. However, it is believed that the actual date can be traced back earlier. In the case of silk, it began with the legend that Empress Xu Neng, the Empress of the Shanggo period of China, found the thread while retrieving a cocoon that had accidentally fallen into a cup of tea. In Korea, it is estimated that hemp clothes were worn from the Gojoseon period, and there is a record that various hemp fabrics were used according to status during the Unified Silla period.

 

Heydays began in the middle of the 20th century through the cotton fiber industry during the Industrial Revolution and through the development of artificial fibers, such as nylon, acrylic and polyurethane that was each invented in the1930s, in1944, and in 1959. The chemical fiber industry is developing rapidly with the advancement of technology. Today, fibers cover not only clothing, but also all areas of human lives, from architecture, civil engineering, aviation, automobiles, medical care, cosmetics to food.

 

Fibers have been one of the most important elements that have supported human life and culture from cradle to grave since ancient times. A child is wrapped in a swaddling cloth right at birth, and is also wrapped in a shroud at death to return to nature. Fiber is basically used not only as a material for clothing in human rites of passage, but it is also used to make various household items, and to decorate spaces. It is also used as a symbol of a ritual or group and practically used to wrap things. For these reasons, fibers have the inherent destiny of being sublimated into a cultural and artistic dimension that enriches human life. In reality, fibers are materials for various fashions in our daily lives, and for this purpose, we have expanded and amplified the field of fibers with the help of craftsmen such as weaving, dyeing, embroidering, and sewing. In the modern era, fibers have been expanded to the industrial realm of design and craft and have been mass-produced. On the other hand, textile is developed into an aesthetic dimension separate from its practical use and is developed into an independent artistic field.

 

Fiber art in Korea has traditionally been a key component of the colorful Gyubang culture. In an independent space where men cannot intervene, Gyubang culture has developed into a culture of women. Various natural materials such as Korean paper, linen, silk, and cotton are used as well as thread and cloth, leaving behind clothing and accessories, bedding and daily necessities according to the times. Although it is a similar problem for any nation, this textile art reflects the spirit, philosophy, and thought of the times in the political and social flow. Although the characteristics of Korean traditional textile arts are diverse, they are basically related to the cultural traditions of nomadic peoples, such as shamanism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Of course, this is based on exchanges with neighboring countries and peoples, and it is melted with the unique emotions and sensibility of Koreans. Shamanism has long formed the basis of the Korean spirit and culture. The shamanistic tradition reflects the cultural characteristics of the nomads such as northern Central Asia, Mongolia, and Manchuria. It also reflects the relief symbols that contain the ceremonial meaning of the celestial spirit or sun worship, and appears as a primary color attribute such as Saekdong. The influence of Buddhism is usually dominated by splendid and refined religious symbols such as embroidery and ornaments reflecting scriptures and doctrines. Lastly, in the case of the Confucian tradition, Neo-Confucian theory imported from China dominates which reflects the frugal spiritual elements of scholars. Examples are creations of clothings with the use of hemp and ramie fiber in a simple monochromatic color scheme in a traditional bojagi form. On the other hand, there are creations of colorful and modern aesthetics by connecting silk fabrics. Confucian culture, which has mainly been maintained since the 14th century, is more nature-friendly rather than artificial and has a worldview such as the yin and yang and the five elements. It is characterized by the elegant simplicity and natural beauty. Rather than objectifying and analyzing things, this is the position of conforming to the principles of things and achieving harmony.

 

After the rapid influx of Western culture in the early 20th century, traditional textile art has developed into the context of Western contemporary art such as tapestry, macrame, wrapping and coiling, crochet, knitting, and digital printing informative aspects such as materials and techniques. However, Korean fiber art still combines tradition and modernity, and there is a lot of interest in reinterpreting tradition in a modern way. There is higher preference for traditional dyeing method using natural dyes and pure natural fibers rather than artificial dyes or chemical fibers. Hand-made is preferred rather than mechanical manufacturing. In addition, interest in establishing the unique status of Korean fiber art is increasing. This is achieved by modernizing the embodied traditional elements discussed above and introducing them to the international stage.

 

In this context, it is very encouraging that the Korea Fiber Art Forum (hereinafter referred to as the Forum) was launched. The forum was established in 2022 to deepen research in Korea's fiber arts field and expand the network with the global stage. The forum is a diverse program to study the identity and characteristics of Korean fiber art and to spread it through the participation of traditional masters such as dyeing, embroidery, and quilting as well as various modern textile artists based on the capabilities accumulated in the field of Korean fiber art. In the past, Korean textile art was introduced based on Korean bojagi culture, but the forum has expanded its scope to target overall Korean fiber arts. As the first project of this year, from September 21-27, Art Space, Gwanggyo in Suwon invited forty-two domestic and international artists, total of three international textile organizations, twenty-two emerging artists selected from ‘call for artists’.

There will also be two special exhibitions. One is a community project completed by disabled and adopted children from Belgium and France. The other is a community project based on racial equity completed by students of ten high schools in Louisville, KY, USA. A total of sixty-four artists from three different organizations will participate. The group exhibitions will include twenty-one artists from LAFTA (Louisville Area Fiber and Textile Artists, USA), thirty-one artists from TSGNY (Textile Study Group of New York, USA), and twelve artists from WTA (World Textile Art, Spain). After completion of 2022 Korea Fiber Art Biennal, the forum is planning various overseas exhibitions. 2023 Korea Fiber Art, Louisville will be held between March and April 2023. This will be a citywide event with exhibitions being held in six different galleries simultaneously. The six exhibitions will be held at Asia Institute in Louisville, USA, Crane House, Cressman Center for Visual Arts,, KMAC Museum, Louisville Visual Art, 21c Museum and Metro Hall. In addition, Fund for the Arts will be promoting the 2023 Korea Fiber Art, Louisville. The theme of the exhibition is titled 'From Birth to Death'. It is hoped that these exhibitions will lay the foundation for the convergence and deepening of capabilities in the field of Korean fiber arts and provide expanded network. In addition, gratitudes go to the management teams who planned the exhibitions and all the artists who participated.