Seoul Museum of Craft Art completes global tour of lacquerware exhibition
The Seoul Museum of Craft Art has completed an overseas touring exhibition titled "The Design Studio of Mother-of-Pearl Craftsmen," which showcased the production techniques and aesthetic beauty of Korean mother-of-pearl lacquerware to approximately 16,000 visitors across four cities in three countries.
The Seoul Museum of Craft Art concluded its "The Design Studio of Mother-of-Pearl Craftsmen" tour on the 24th following a final stop in Osaka, Japan. The exhibition, which visited four cities across North America and Japan between 2025 and 2026, attracted approximately 16,000 visitors.
The Seoul Museum of Craft Art has concluded its overseas touring exhibition, "The Design Studio of Mother-of-Pearl Craftsmen," which introduced the production techniques and formative beauty of Korean mother-of-pearl lacquerware. Held in four cities across three countries—Los Angeles (USA), Ottawa, Tokyo, and Osaka—from 2025 to 2026, the exhibition drew approximately 16,000 visitors.
The Seoul Museum of Craft Art announced that it completed its touring schedule on the 24th following the exhibition in Osaka, Japan. Selected for the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s "Touring K-Arts" project, the exhibition was carried out in cooperation with overseas Korean Cultural Centers. The tour began in 2025 at the Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles and the Korean Cultural Centre Canada, continuing in 2026 at the Korean Cultural Center in Japan and the Korean Cultural Center Osaka.
Visitor counts by region totaled 7,556 in North America and 8,427 in Japan. In a satisfaction survey conducted by the overseas Korean Cultural Centers, more than 90% of respondents evaluated the exhibition as one that allowed them to newly discover the beauty and depth of traditional Korean crafts. Local media and the art and craft sectors also showed interest in the exhibition as a way to observe the designs and production techniques of Korean mother-of-pearl lacquerware.
"The Design Studio of Mother-of-Pearl Craftsmen" was developed based on a special planned exhibition held at the Seoul Museum of Craft Art in 2023. Focusing on "mother-of-pearl designs," which serve as blueprints for producing lacquerware, the exhibition introduced the designs, tools, and works of six modern and contemporary mother-of-pearl masters: Jeon Seong-gyu, Kim Bong-ryong, Song Ju-an, Sim Bu-gil, Min Jong-tae, and Kim Tae-hui. Through this, the exhibition highlighted the process from conception to production and the formative characteristics of mother-of-pearl lacquerware.
The exhibition's composition was varied according to the characteristics of each host region. In North America, the works of six later-generation masters—Kim Seong-su, Song Bang-ung, Lee Hyeong-man, Son Dae-hyeon, Choi Sang-hun, and Kim Seol—were added to introduce the succession of traditional techniques and modern changes. In Japan, the exhibition explored the historical exchanges between Korean mother-of-pearl lacquerware and Japanese lacquer cultures, such as Makie and Shitsuki, to examine the connection between the crafts of the two countries.
Linked programs, including lectures and production demonstrations, were also conducted. In Los Angeles, a special lecture was held covering the history of Korean mother-of-pearl lacquerware from the Goryeo period to the modern era. In Japan, National Intangible Heritage holder Choi Sang-hun and successor Nam Jin-u demonstrated the techniques of *ggeun-eumjil* (cutting) and *butimjil* (attaching) mother-of-pearl, and held a dialogue to share their experiences in technical succession.
Based on the experience of cooperation with overseas Korean Cultural Centers established during this tour, the Seoul Museum of Craft Art plans to continue overseas exhibitions and exchanges. The museum is also reviewing collaborative exhibitions in the fields of modern accessories and traditional textile crafts proposed by overseas Korean Cultural Centers in Europe and China.
Park Sang-bin, Director of the Seoul Museum of Craft Art, said, "This overseas touring exhibition was an opportunity to confirm the international potential of Korean traditional crafts and archival materials. Based on the cooperative experience and networks built in North America and Japan, we will continue exhibitions and exchanges to promote Korean crafts."
Reporter at HANDMAKER (핸드메이커), a Korean magazine devoted to crafts and handmade culture. Covers exhibitions, traditional crafts and the makers behind them.
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