Korean contemporary crafts : Finding their way in today’s world

In design critic Choi Bum’s first critical essay on crafts, he observed Korean contemporary crafts from 2000 to the present with a critical eye, revealing people’s awareness, the current situation involving crafts, and problems related to Korean contemporary crafts. Koreans went through a non-subjective process of modernization as a result of the Japanese colonial era (1910–1945). Consequently, crafts became separated from people’s everyday lives and traditions, and instead became tourist goods or artistic pieces. Choi believes that we need to restore crafts in our day-to-day lives. He considers crafts as “the root of culture, or another name for nature/tradition and skills/beauty.” This is a must-read for those wishing to think about the past, present and future of Korean contemporary crafts.