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This book is made possible with a grant from the Individual Artist Fellowship, courtesy of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, 2018.
2 ——— FOREWORD
Contents
Preface —— katherine anne paul
2
Transforming Century-Old Household Items with a Contemporary Sensibility: Wonju Seo’s Textiles —— jinyoung A. jin
4
Through My Window
14
White Wonderland
24
Inspiration of Blue
28
Wrapping with Blessings
36
Soft Sculpture
40
Wearable Pojagi
44
Bio and Resume
51
COVER
Through My Window: Seas of Blue, 2017 (details) 21 W x 90 H inches each, total of 3 pieces Hand-sewn textile Korean silk, colored silk thread OPPOSITE
Through My Window, 2018 (details) 16 W x 32 H inches each, total of 5 pieces Hand-sewn textile Korean silk, colored silk thread
Preface Katherine Anne Paul, Curator of the Arts of Asia, Newark Museum
I first discovered Wonju Seo’s work in 2010 at my
Fig. 7, Fig. 8, Fig. 13, Fig. 26] She utilizes cloth in a way
own institution, but not through an exhibition I
that makes it appear like textured stained glass. In the
organized. Ulysses G. Dietz, the Senior Curator of
2015 installation White Wonderland, Seo considered
Decorative Arts and my colleague, was the Newark
the unique opportunity afforded by a reflecting
Museum’s in-house curator for the New Jersey Arts
pool to create a white-on-white wall treatment that
Annual and the theme was “Make Me Something
would be amplified when viewed in concert with the
Beautiful.” Seo’s translucent Wearable Pojagi vest—
pool. [Fig. 4] The height of the atrium of the skylight
with its precise yellow hand-stitches, opalescent
gallery, as well as its layers of balconies and windows
colors, and intriguing lattice-like seaming—sang
and the action of the light well itself, interacts with
out visually from the other featured works. [Fig. 1]
how Seo folded and hand-sewed the artwork. While
I proposed it for acquisition into our permanent
the smaller shapes within the works echo snowflakes
collection, where it now resides. Wearable Pojagi
or ice crystals or even reflective patterns on the
epitomizes an intriguing transformation of pojagi
water’s surface, the irony is that in some ways the
from decorative wrapping cloth to wearable art. As
result looks more like a digitized computer product
this catalog demonstrates, the constant exploration
due to the squared outlines. However, it is the
and transformation of pojagi techniques informs
antithesis of that technology entirely—it was made by
and creates Seo’s artistic palette.
Seo’s own hands.
As one can see from the beautiful reproductions
The 2012 work Dual Identities splices silhouettes
of her work in the following pages, Seo has a
and poignantly articulate the tensions and
wonderful understanding of color, proportion,
connections between generations and within oneself.
texture, and sculpture. She embraces a number
[Fig. 25] Seo returns to this theme in her 2016 Dual
of techniques—silk painting, digital printing,
Identities, a work of pojagi that plays with opacity
collage, folding, piecing, and embroidery—much
and transparency, light and darkness. The jewel-
of it hand-sewn rather than machine-sewn. Seo’s
like 2012 Pojagi Cuffs delights me with its whimsical
training in silk painting is evident in much of the
embroidery and fashion-forward style that harkens to
cloth she employs, often creating the colors’ shades,
historical wristlets popular in the late Joseon period.
intensities, and fades she so desires by painting on
[Fig. 31] Similarly the 2012 Fantasia vest expands the
the cloth herself. The hand-sewn aspect likewise is
use of lively and colorfully embroidered lines that
of particular note given the large scale of some of her
wriggle over the pieced work to activate the surfaces
body of work.
of the garment, while the 2018 A Woman in Modern
Times embraces asymmetry. [Fig. 30, Fig. 28]
One of the things that most intrigues me about
Seo’s work is its translucency. As seen in the titles
of her “Through My Window” series and her 2018
the intensity, perseverance, and dedication of the
Through My Window: Peace and Freedom, the
artist, and I hope it increases appreciation for Wonju
transparencies of cloth is key to her vision. [Fig. 6,
Seo’s creations.
2 ——— PREFACE
I trust that readers of this catalog will recognize
FIGURE 1.
Wearable Pojagi, 2009 Hand-sewn and machine-sewn textile Korean white ramie Permanent collection of the Newark Museum, NJ
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Transforming Century-Old Household Items with a Contemporary Sensibility: Wonju Seo’s Textiles Jinyoung A. Jin, Director of Cultural Programs at the Charles B. Wang Center, Stony Brook University
Born in 1964 in Seoul, South Korea, Wonju Seo has
discarded in the process of making garments. Since
made her name as a contemporary artist in New York,
fabric was incredibly valuable during the Chosŏn
specializing in textiles. Though she graduated from
dynasty (1392–1910), the cutting of textile material
Hong-Ik University, one of South Korea’s prestigious
for any reason other than making clothing was
fine art schools, Seo did not pursue her calling as
considered highly wasteful, even disgraceful. In this
a textile artist immediately. After graduation, she
context, the process of combining fabric remnants
worked for over four years as a commercial textile
and sewing them together into pojagi, to reduce
designer, applying acid dye pigments to silk. It was not
waste and utilize material for practical purposes,
until 2007 that she completely changed her preferred
was seen as an auspicious act by Korean women. Not
medium from paints to sheer textile. Seo herself has
only did creating pojagi demonstrate their frugality
pointed to this change of medium as a turning point in
and patience, but every stitch could be seen as an
her artistic style:
expression of a woman’s devotion to the comfort and
“I was trained to be a painter, but had a job in
well-being of her family in the Korean society.
a textile company. While I was working there,
I still pursued my artistic career by primarily
the chaos of world war, and the social turmoil brought
working with oil on canvas. Soon I serendipitously
on by the Korean War disrupted Korean life and art
discovered the purity of silk textile and the
traditions. Combined with the influx of ready-made
intense color and serene abstractness found in
clothing and textiles made from Western materials,
an antiquarian Korean patchwork pojagi. The
pojagi fell out of use and widespread practice. Koreans
piece was almost a century old, but I was visually
from this point on only tailored traditional clothing for
shocked by its vibrant color and geometric shapes.
very special occasions, such as weddings, funerals, and
It was so modern and contemporary. It was beyond
other ceremonial or memorial events. Furthermore,
what I used to create with brushes and oil paints.”
the recycling of fabric scraps was no longer regarded
However, the upheavals of Japanese colonial rule,
Now long based in New York and New Jersey, Wonju
as an act of virtue. Wrapping gifts and food jars
Seo is a Korean American artist whose primary
with fabric was still common, but pojagi cloths
medium has been textiles. In particular, Seo often
were replaced by simple sheets of nylon fabric. The
explores the bold and abstract color sensibilities of
colorfully sewn silk pojagi slowly disappeared from
pojagi. Pojagi is a centuries-old traditional Korean
households. This long absence from Korean daily life
form of patchwork used to wrap gifts, to cover
explains why the “antiquarian pojagi” Seo encountered
small food tray tables, and to carry around objects
for the first time in late 1990s sparked such a visual
of everyday life, from jewelry to heavy bedding. A
sensation. Pojagi had virtually vanished from everyday
utilitarian craft form, pojagi was originally made from
life until it was once more brought into the spotlight by
the small pieces of silk, ramie, and hemp left over or
the late Dong-hwa Huh (1926–2018), an avid collector
4 ——— TRANSFORMING CENTURY-OLD HOUSEHOLD ITEMS WITH A CONTEMPORARY SENSIBILITY: WONJU SEO’S TEXTILES
FIGURE 2.
Contemporary Pojagi, 2009 35Hx35W inches hand-sewn textile Korean silk, colored silk thread
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6 ——— FOREWORD
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6
who had opened a textile museum in 1979 to showcase
White Wonderland
his vast pojagi collection.
Permanently displayed at Stony Brook University’s
The popularity of pojagi in South Korea nowadays
Charles B. Wang Center since 2015, Seo’s White
may be in part due to its visual linkage to American
Wonderland is integrated into a four-story skylight
folk quilts or to Western modernist art, from Bauhaus
wall. [Fig. 15] The patchwork is 32 feet long and 26
textile to the geometric abstraction of painters such
feet wide, hanging from the center’s fourth floor and
as Piet Mondrian (1872–1944) and Josef Albers (1888–
reaching to the ground just above a person’s height.
1976). Despite the comparisons, no direct influence
In this work, Seo tackles abstract patterns with a
between pojagi and these other genres can be
radical simplicity of vocabulary and on a gigantic
suggested; Koreans have enjoyed the strong aesthetics
scale, aspects that distinguish her work from many
of abstraction well before its emergence as an artistic
other pojagi artists.
movement in the West. Often copying the designs of
older pojagi, whether for functional purposes or for
navigation and transforms them to create another
decoration, many local Korean artisans craft pojagi in
reality, an entirely new spatial dynamic. But this
order to add vibrant color to life.
dynamism is not due solely to the vastness of the
Seo uses simple geometric forms related to
patchwork; the effect is also driven by the rhythmic Departure
small patchwork patterns that cover this four-story
The general public currently uses pojagi for solely
wall. Through the pattern and the sheer size of the
decorative purposes. Wonju Seo, however, creates
piece, she wanted the informality of this textile
entirely original variations of pojagi through constant
structure to become a part of the building’s structure.
experimentation. Departing from traditional pojagi
patterns, color schemes, and styles, Seo utilizes
sophisticated and ambitious work solely in terms of its
“domestic” mediums that are radically different
classic temple-door pojagi patterns, which maze across
and often on a much larger scale. She tries to closely
ten columns of 2300 folded quilt blocks. The patches
align her ethos with contemporary artists who
also vary in terms of size, the smallest at 3 inches and
incorporate their works into architectural spaces
the largest being 24 inches. The temple-door pattern
and who make sculpture from soft materials. This
in Korean pojagi does have an equivalent in technique
identity as a contemporary artist rather than a craft
to the cathedral window pattern found in American
artisan helped Seo direct her textiles toward the
folk quilting. Although the pattern is repeated
public sphere. She modifies space by introducing
throughout the work, the folds in the fabric completely
the supple, flexible element of textile and seeks to
transfigure the effect, exaggerating the work’s flatness
create a new spatial dynamism by means of seams,
and extraordinary scale.
folds, color, texture, and natural elements such as
light and breeze. Tradition is but the medium of the
deliberately avoids precision. Sophisticated though
message; the message itself depends on the richness
Seo’s patterns appear, they are never slick or
of the artist’s creative sensibility. Seo’s architectural
mechanical. There is something primitive about
soft sculptures have been displayed at Stony Brook
them that appeals on an elemental level, which to Seo
University’s Charles B. Wang Center and at the Faro
embodies the flexibility of textiles and the essence
a Colón (Columbus Lighthouse) in Santo Domingo,
of pojagi. Due to the large size of the installation,
Dominican Republic.
the imperfections are not easily caught by viewers,
White Wonderland can be said to be a truly
While aiming for purity and clarity, Seo
FIGURE 3.
White Wonderland, 2015 (work in progress) Folded, hand-sewn textile Nobang (Korean silk organza), thread
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8 ——— TRANSFORMING CENTURY-OLD HOUSEHOLD ITEMS WITH A CONTEMPORARY SENSIBILITY: WONJU SEO’S TEXTILES
but they are inherent elements in the hand-sewn pojagi process and complement the emphatically handmade artistic qualities of Seo’s design. Seo’s work carefully preserves the expressive imperfections of human craftsmanship with irregular stitches and many negative spaces in between patterns. White Wonderland is all the more vigorous and arresting for the subtle irregularity of the fabric pieces’ outlines as well. Such a willful asymmetry is another daring feature of Seo’s work. A reflection of her independent, free-spirited approach to traditional design, it signifies the strength of her determination not to be bounded by convention.
On the one hand, Seo chose a muted white and
gray palette and a subtle yet rhythmic interplay of vertical and horizontal patterns; on the other hand, Seo dramatically increased the size of her work to a truly massive scale. Although geometric abstraction is not new in pojagi, hitherto it has been limited to patterns with small repeats. The audacious maximization of temple-door pojagi patterns shows Seo strikingly ahead of her contemporaries. Rhythmic variety is also a crucial ingredient in bringing Seo’s work to life. Although limited to a white color scheme, the folded patterns and usage of different kinds of white fabric multiply the number of hues, thereby intensifying its impact.
Seas of Blue Seo’s growing confidence in creating large-scale works that are integrated into architectural spaces, sometimes to startling effect, is apparent over the course of her artistic career. Her audacity and bravado in the use of color is particularly noticeable in the work, Seas of Blue. [Fig. 20]
Seas of Blue, which is another creative usage of
traditional pojagi, was on display at the Faro a Colón in the Dominican Republic from 2014 to 2017. It was commissioned by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea as part of a larger exhibition by the Dominican
FIGURE 4.
White Wonderland, 2015 (installation view at Skylight Gallery, Charles B. Wang Center) 312 H x 384 W inches Folded, hand-sewn textile Nobang (Korean silk organza), thread Permanent collection of the Charles B. Wang Center Stony Brook University, NY
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government to showcase the art, culture, and history
in a range of rich indigos and blues. Inspired by the
of more than forty-eight countries. Inaugurated in
nearby sea, Seo was likely trying to evoke the fluidity
1992 in commemoration of the 500th anniversary of
of waves and the depth of the sea’s color.
Columbus’s discovery of the Americas, Faro a Colón is a memorial monument dedicated to Christopher
Conclusion
Columbus. A 680-foot corridor functioned as the gallery
The innovating textile artist Wonju Seo blurs the
for this artistic presentation. Although its ceiling is five
boundary between traditional craft, geometric
stories high, most nations used just the gallery’s floor
abstract painting, and architectural sculpture
space for their displays. Only one country, and one
with her vibrant textile works. Her works come in
artist, utilized the monument’s high ceiling.
in many shapes, sizes, and effects, ranging from
Seo’s site-specific exploration of indigo pojagi
wall mountings that mimic hung paintings to
consisted of six hanging bolts of flexible silk. By
soft sculptures that hang from ceiling to floor like
suspending the fabric from a beam three stories
textured columns. Maximized and minimalist in
above to hang just to a person’s height on the ground
equal measure, Seo’s works are at once restrained and
floor below, Seo radically multiplied the given gallery
expressive, expansive yet condensed.
space. The scale of the pojagi—a stunning twenty feet
in length—evoked the vastness of the ocean and the
sizes, she begins on a much smaller scale to better
variability of its waves. The different hues and sizes
command all the elements of the piece and to allow
of the massive patchwork pieces also generated a
her to imagine the structure at full scale. These types
radiating effect for the viewer, while a steady rhythm
of projects fascinate her more than any other. They
pulled the eye through multiple layers. The gallery is
enable her to influence architectural spaces and to
connected to an exterior corridor, so natural light and
link the small stitches of domestic sewing to the loud,
the outdoor breeze added to the work’s presentation
public life of the modern city. The two large-scale
as a whole. There is something intrinsically appealing
artworks discussed here perfectly capture how Seo
about the flowing effect of the silk through these
revitalizes the traditional, practical, and spiritual
natural elements. Seo’s objective was to integrate
values inherent in Korean pojagi in our contemporary
these forms carefully into the architectural space
age. She demonstrates that traditional craft textiles
without destroying its innate qualities while
are more than up to the task of adapting to our
simultaneously modifying the space, modulating it to
present times and engaging with today’s modern
give viewers a new perception of it.
sensibilities. An art that has been passed down for
generations, pojagi continues to show that it is a
In stark contrast to the intricate micropatterns
Although Seo’s works stand out due to their grand
of White Wonderland, Seas of Blue utilized bolder,
flexible and practical art form that can be reworked,
larger, and more loosely patched fabrics, overlapping
rethought, and recycled.
10 ——— TRANSFORMING CENTURY-OLD HOUSEHOLD ITEMS WITH A CONTEMPORARY SENSIBILITY: WONJU SEO’S TEXTILES
FIGURE 5.
Seas of Blue, 2014 (installation view at Korea Hall of the Faro a Colon, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) 200 H x 45 W inches each, total of 6 pieces Hand-sewn textile Korean silk, digitally printed silk, colored silk thread
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FIGURE 6.
Through My Window: Peace and Freedom, 2018 (installation view at Gordon Student Center, Onondaga Community College, NY) 40 H x 120 W inches each, total of 5 pieces Hand-sewn textile Nobang (Korean silk organza) 12 ——— FOREWORD
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THROUGH MY WINDOW The square exterior design mirrors the “window” from where I used to gaze outside and imagine the wider world as a child. I was born in a city, so I never had the chance to experience the vast wilderness, lying beyond what the city offers, beautiful and alluring yet mysterious and frightening. The window also represents my dream and desire to explore the unknown world, much like so many Korean women who grew up in a traditional Confucian culture. My work reflects my past—where I came from—and my hopes for the future— where I will be going. ——artist note
14 ——— THROUGH MY WINDOW
FIGURE 7.
Through My Window: Seas of Blue, 2017 21 W x 90 H inches each, total of 3 pieces Hand-sewn textile Korean silk, colored silk thread
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FIGURE 8.
Through My Window, 2018 16 W x 32 H inches each, total of 5 pieces Hand-sewn textile Korean silk, colored silk thread
16 ——— THROUGH MY WINDOW
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FIGURE 9.
18 ——— THROUGH MY WINDOW
From East to West, 2014 36 W x 37 H inches Hand-sewn textile Korean silk, colored silk thread
FIGURE 10.
From East to West, 2015 36 W x 36 H inches Hand-sewn textile Korean silk, colored silk thread
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FIGURE 11.
20 ——— THROUGH MY WINDOW
From East to West, 2015 36 W x 36 H inches Hand-sewn textile Korean silk, colored silk thread
FIGURE 12.
From East to West, 2015 36 W x 36 H inches Hand-sewn textile Korean silk, colored silk thread
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22 ——— THROUGH MY WINDOW
LEFT: FIGURE 13.
Through My Window, 2009 76 W x 55 H inches Naturally dyed, hand-sewn textile Sumi ink, ramie, hemp, colored silk thread TOP: FIGURE 14.
Through My Window, 2009 (Installation view in a window)
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WHITE WONDERLAND White Wonderland expresses a memory of a snowy night in my childhood. I was amazed by the snow falling soundlessly in the middle of the night. The big snowflakes almost immediately covered everything outside the glass window, including the roof, the fence, and the stairs as well as my mother’s garden. The scenery blanketed by so much snow under the moonlight had transformed into a mysterious white wonderland. This artwork visualizes that beautiful snowy landscape using Korean temple-door pojagi patterns called chill-bomoon-jeun-bo (folding and hand sewing). ——artist note
FIGURE 15.
White Wonderland, 2015 (Installation view at Skylight Gallery, Charles B. Wang Center) 312 H x 384 W inches Folded, hand-sewn textile Nobang (Korean silk organza), thread Permanent collection of the Charles B. Wang Center, Stony Brook University, NY 24 ——— WHITE WONDERLAND
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26 ——— FOREWORD
FIGURE 16.
White Wonderland, 2018 90 H x 40 W inches each total of 2 pieces Folded, hand-sewn textile Korean silk, thread
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INSPIRATION OF BLUE Inspiration of Blue was created to celebrate the year 2014. The blue color and geometric abstract lines that I made on the transparent silk symbolize my personal feeling toward words such as “hope,” “courage,” and “challenges.” ——artist note
28 ——— INSPIRATION OF BLUE
FIGURE 17.
Inspiration of Blue, 2014 41 W x 41 H inches Hand-sewn textile Nobang (Korean silk organza), colored silk thread
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FIGURE 18.
30 ——— INSPIRATION OF BLUE
Inspiration of Blue, 2014 20 W x 20 H inches Indigo dyed, hand-sewn textile Korean silk, colored silk thread
FIGURE 19.
Inspiration of Blue, 2014 20 W x 20 H inches Indigo dyed, hand-sewn textile Korean silk, colored silk thread
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FIGURE 20.
Seas of Blue, 2014 (Installation view at theater of Flushing Town Hall) 200 H x 45 W inches each, total of 6 pieces Hand-sewn patchwork on digitally printed silk Received a space grant from Flushing Town Hall, Flushing, NY
32 ——— INSPIRATION OF BLUE
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FIGURE 21.
Inspiration of Blue, 2015 (Installation view at Stony Brook University Hospital, NY) 47 H x 350 W inches Machine-sewn textile Korean silk, thread
34 ——— INSPIRATION OF BLUE
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WRAPPING WITH BLESSINGS Wonju Seo’s Wrapping with Blessings showcases pojagi’s fundamental functions and captures the way in which the traditional, practical, and spiritual Korean values inherent in pojagi can be reborn and adapted in our contemporary age. The patchwork, with its various colors and thorough stitching, can be seen as an expression of the artist’s devotion to the comfort and well-being of the viewer. ——charles b. wang center, stony brook university, ny, 2014
36 ——— WRAPPING WITH BLESSINGS
FIGURE 22.
Wrapping with Blessings (wrapped box), 2018 (Installation view at Waterfall Mansion & Gallery, NY) Left: 11 L x 13 W x 4.5 H inches Right: 10L x 7W x 4H inches Hand-sewn textile Korean silk, colored silk thread Photo credit: ESSO STUDIO and Waterfall Mansion & Gallery
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FIGURE 23.
38 ——— WRAPPING WITH BLESSINGS
Wrapping with Blessings, 2009 24 H x 24 W inches Hand-sewn textile Korean silk, colored silk thread
FIGURE 24.
Wrapping with Blessings, 2018 20 H x 20 W inches Folded paper Han-ji (Korean rice paper), acid-free glue
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SOFT SCULPTURE I experimented with the typical square shape of pojagi and the traditional methods used in making pojagi to create soft sculptures in various geometric forms. I utilized techniques such as painting and collage in addition to hand-sewing. To emphasize my subject matter, I depicted natural scenery or painted abstract forms on silk using dye and Gutta resist, as well as brushes. Dye and Gutta resist are special materials used only for painting on silk. The ways they work on silk are similar to techniques used in traditional watercolor painting. I even wrapped different types of fabric around geometric shapes from precut form boards. Before wrapping the form boards, I used cotton to add depth and dimension. Soft Sculpture is one of the most representative examples of my contemporary pojagi art. ——artist note
40 ——— SOFT SCULPTURE
FIGURE 25.
Dual Identities, 2012 63 H x 30 W x 1.5 D inches Embroidery, collage, silk painting, hand-sewn textile Silk, colored silk thread, mixed media
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FIGURE 26.
42 ——— SOFT SCULPTURE
Through My Window, 2012 30 H x 50 W x 1.5 D inches Embroidery, collage, silk painting, hand-sewn textile Silk, colored silk thread, mixed media
FIGURE 27.
Jumping, 2012 24 H x 24 W x 1.5 D inches Embroidery, collage, silk painting, hand-sewn textile Silk, colored silk thread, mixed media
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WEARABLE POJAGI Wearable pojagi is based on Korean culture, my roots. Jeogori, a traditional top for Korean women with long and rounded sleeves, symbolizes Korean women, especially my mother, who devoted her entire life to her family and children and who was an excellent homemaker. It also evokes both the traditional Korean hanbok and pojagi, a traditional Korean patchwork wrapping cloth that has its origins in the 19th century. These wearable pojagi bring together dual identities of being Korean and being a woman living in a modern society. ——artist note
44 ——— WEARABLE POJAGI
FIGURE 28.
A Woman in Modern Times (pojagi shawl), 2018 Hand-sewn textile Nobang (Korean organza), colored silk thread, handmade beads
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46 ——— WEARABLE POJAGI
Domestic skills associated with women become symbolic objects that evoke religious faith and cultural traditions. Seo’s jeogori evokes both traditional Korean costume and the age-old craft of patchwork wrapping cloths known as pojagi.
——newark museum, 2010
FIGURE 29.
Mother (jeogori), 2010 14 H x 54.24 W inches Hand-sewn and machine-sewn textile Korean ramie, hemp, colored silk thread
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48 ——— WEARABLE POJAGI
FIGURE 30.
Fantasia (pojagi vest), 2012 Embroidery, hand-sewn and machine-sewn textile Korean silk, colored silk thread Private Collection
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FIGURE 31.
Pojagi Cuffs, 2012 Embroidery, hand-sewn textile Korean silk, colored silk thread, found buttons
50 ——— WEARABLE POJAGI
Permanent collection of the Newark Museum, NJ
WONJU SEO Wonju Seo was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, where she received her B.F.A in Fine Arts Painting from Hong-Ik University in 1988. After graduating college, she worked as a designer and silk painting artist. In 1998, she moved to the United States to continue her career as an artist. She currently lives and works in Bergen County, NJ. Seo is the recipient of the 2012 and 2018 Individual Artist Fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and a QBL Fellowship from the Schweinfurth Art Center, NY. She also received the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Recognition Award (Collector’s Choice) from the Visions Art Museum, CA, and an Honorable Mention from the Smithtown Township Arts Council. Her works have been selected by juries in many national and international art competitions, and they have been exhibited in numerous galleries and museums. Three of Seo’s works are in the permanent collections of the Newark Museum, NJ and the Charles B. Wang Center, Stony Brook University, NY.
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Wonju Seo
2011
Tradition Meets Modern Beauty. Riverside Gallery, Hackensack, NJ
www.wonjuseo.com wjandart2013@gmail.com
2009
Drawing & Painting by Won Ju Seo. Multimedia Center, Palisade Park, NJ
Born in Seoul, South Korea. Living and working in Bergen County, New Jersey.
GROUP EXHIBITION
EDUCATION 1988
B.F.A. in Fine Arts, concentrated on Western Painting, Hong-Ik University, Seoul Korea Awarded by a regionally accredited U.S. College or University (Documentation as needed)
2018
New Jersey State Council on the Arts Fellowship Awards in Visual Arts Exhibition. Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center, Millville, NJ
2017
Flight in Blue. BWI International Gallery, Baltimore Washington International Airport, Baltimore, MD
2017 In Residency: Selection from the Open Studio Residency Program. Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle, ME 2017 Life Infinite: Works by 30 Korean American Diaspora Artists. Korean Culture Center, Washington, D.C. 2017
Stamp Exhibition in Celebration of the 115th Anniversary of Korean Immigration to America. Hosted by KFA, Washington, D.C.
2016
ASPECTS: Works by Korean Artists in America. Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY
2016
Seoul–New York Project. Hongik University Alumni in Korea and America Group exhibition. Riverside Art Gallery, Hackensack, NJ
2015
Origami Heaven. Charles B. Wang Center, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Silk painting, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, NY
2015
WOW II. Sponsored by Hongik University Alumni in Eastern USA. Coohaus Art, New York, NY
SOLO EXHIBITION
2015
Illustrating Passion & Freedom in Unison. Korean Cultural Center, Washington, D.C.
ADDITIONAL ART TRAINING Embroidery, Certificate of Study, Seol Won Foundation, New York, NY Painting and Drawing, The Student League of New York, New York, NY Certificate of Completion, Professional Development, The Artist/Teacher Institute Arts Horizons, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ Textile design, Institute Korea Textile Design School (KTDS), Seoul, South Korea
2019
Tradition Meets Modern Beauty: Wonju Seo’s Contemporary Interpretation of Korean Pojagi. Flushing Town Hall, Flushing, NY
2014
Korea Bojagi Forum. Jeju Museum of Contemporary Art and other galleries, Jeoji Artist Village, Jeju Island, South Korea
2018
Through My Window: Peace and Freedom. Onondaga Community College, Syracuse, NY. QBL (Quilting by the Lake) Fiber Artist Fellowship from Schweinfurth Art Center, Auburn, NY
2014
Shades of Time: An Exhibition from the Archive of Korean-American Artists, Part Two (1989–2001). Gallery Korea of the Korean Cultural Service New York and the Queens Museum, New York, NY
2016
Dual Identities II: A contemporary interpretation of Korean Bojagi by Wonju Seo. MK Gallery, Vienna, VA
2014
Seas of Blue: Asian Indigo Dye. Charles B. Wang Center, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
2015
Wrapping with Blessings: Korean Patchwork by Wonju Seo. Stony Brook University Hospital, NY.| Co-sponsored by the Charles B. Wang Center of Stony Brook University and Stony Brook Medicine.
2014
Korean American Pop Art. McGuireWoods Gallery of Lorton Workhouse Arts Center, Washington, D.C.
2014
Unusual Art. Belskie Museum, Closter, NJ
2015
Dual Identities I: A contemporary interpretation of Korean Bojagi by Wonju Seo. BBCN Bank Manhattan, New York, NY. In collaboration with the AHL Foundation and BBCN Bank
2013
Members exhibition. Hunterdon Art Museum, Clinton, NJ
2014
The Deep Blue: Korean Patchwork by Wonju Seo. Korea Hall of the Faro a Colón, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Exhibition hosted by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Dominican Republic
2013
2012 NJ State Council on the Arts: Visual Arts Fellowship Showcase Exhibition. Long Beach Island Foundation of Arts & Sciences, Loveladies, NJ
2013
Luciano Benetton Collection: Imago Mundi. Collateral event of the 55th International Art Exhibition. Querini Stampalia Foundation, Venice, Italy
2014
Inspiration of Blue. Office of Consular Affairs, Embassy of the Republic of Korea. Hosted by the Han-mee Artists Association, Washington, D.C.
2012
Through My Window. Coohaus Art, New York, NY
52 ——— BIO AND RESUME
2013 New Growth: Works by Members of Flushing Town Hall. Flushing Town Hall, Flushing, NY 2013
SquareS. Leonard Hansen Gallery, Englewood, NJ
2013
The Gathering of the Artists in 2013. Riverside Gallery, Hackensack, NJ
2009
29th Annual Faber Birren National Color Award Show. Stamford Art Association, Stanford, CT
2012
Korea Bojagi Forum (KBF): International Group Exhibitions. Heyri Art Valley, South Korea
2009
4th Seoul International Quilt Festival. Special Selection, Seoul COEX. Seoul, South Korea
2011
Life as Art. Lee Young Hee Museum of Korean Culture, New York, NY
2007
Annual New Jersey Small Work Show. Mikhail Zakin Gallery, Demarest, NJ
2011
Come from the Shadows: The Comfort Women. Holocaust Resource Center & Archives, Bayside, NY
AWARD
2010
The Comfort Women Memorial and Art Exhibit. Multimedia Center, Palisades Park, NJ
2018
Quilting by the Lake (QBL) Fiber Artist Fellowship from Schweinfurth Art Center, Auburn, NY
2010
Encyclopedia Britannica Project. Belskie Museum, Closter, NJ
2018
Individual Artist Fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, NJ
2010
NoHo NY 7th Annual Art Walk. TD Bank, New York, NY
2009
20 Artists Group Exhibition. Ye Rang Gallery, Fort Lee, NJ
2012
Individual Artist Fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, NJ
2009
N.A.W.A. 2009 New Members’ Exhibition. N.A.W.A. Gallery, New York, NY
2012
Thomas Contemporary Quilt Recognition Award from Visions Art Museum, CA
2009
SQA International Pojagi & Beyond. Paducah, KY
2011
Honorable Mention from Smithtown Township Arts Council, NY
2008
Ten Artists Show. Ye Rang Gallery, Fort Lee, NJ
JURIED GROUP EXHIBITION
ARTIST RESIDENCIE 2018
Quilting by the Lake (QBL) Artist residency, Onondaga Community College, Syracuse, NY
2016
Transgressing Traditions. Scwheinfurth Art Center, Auburn, NY
2014
Open Studio Residency, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle, ME
2014
ITAB: International TECHstyle Art Biennial. San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, San Jose, CA
2013
Residency Program, Coohaus Art, New York, NY
2013
New Jersey Arts Annual. Noyes Museum of Art, Atlantic City, NJ
ARTIST TALK & PRESENTATION
2013
Quilt & Fiber Art Festival. La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum, La Conner, WA
2013
Variations on the Canon. Coohaus Art, New York, NY
2013
40th Anniversary Exhibition. Soho20 Chelsea Gallery, New York, NY
2013
ArtExpo NY. Group exhibition competition hosted by NEA, Piers 92/94, New York, NY
2012
More Art from Found Objects. Monmouth Museum, Lincroft, NJ
2012
Brainstorms: The 12th International Juried Exhibition. Visions Art Museum, San Diego, CA
2012
Crossing Lines: The Many Faces of Fiber. World Financial Center Courtyard Gallery, New York, NY
2011
American Mosaic. Smithtown Township Arts Council, Mills Pond House Gallery, St. James, NY
2010
(Un)Wrapped. Columbia City Gallery, Seattle, WA
2010
Whimsy. Morris Arts, Morristown, NJ
WORKSHOP
2010
New Jersey Arts Annual: Make Me Something Beautiful. Newark Museum, Newark, NJ
2010
New Biennial National Juried Exhibition: Nature by Design. Larson Galley, Yakima, WA
2010
Annual New Jersey Small Works Show. Mikhail Zakin Gallery, Demarest, NJ
2018
2009
Annual New Jersey Small Works Show. Mikhail Zakin Gallery, Demarest, NJ
2018
Quilting by the Lake (QBL) Conference at Onondaga Community College, Syracuse, NY Gave an artist talk for fiber artists and quilters participating in Schweinfurth Art Center’s Quilting by the Lake program.
2016
International Year of South Korea at Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY Gave an artist talk for students and faculties.
2014
Open Studio Residency at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Deer Isle, ME Presented art works for 39 participating artists and board members
2013
August Town Hall. Hosted by the Asian American Arts Alliance, Greenwich House Music School, New York, NY Presented artworks
2012 Visions Art Museum, San Diego, CA Presented artworks for the staff and volunteers of the museum
Charles B. Wang Center, Stony Brook University, NY Three-day workshop: “Creating a See-Through Window Hanging Patchwork” Taught classes to create a hot-bo (a single layer pojagi) by hand
2018 Newark Museum, Newark, NJ One-day workshop: “K-Fashion” Taught classes to create paper pojagi brooches using traditional pojagi colors and patterns
WONJU SEO ——— 53
2017
Korean Cultural Center New York, NY One-day workshop: “Making Mini Wrapping Cloth” Workshop for celebrating National Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day Taught classes to create a mini gub-bo (a double-layer pojagi) by hand
2017
Charles B. Wang Center, Stony Brook University, NY Two-day Workshop: “Korean Patchwork-Korean Traditional Neck Pillows by Wonju Seo” Taught classes to create two neck pillows by hand using pine nut and other pojagi patterns
2016
Complex Art Space Haenggungjae Gallery, Suwon, South Korea Two-day workshop: “Creating a Pojagi Brooch” using silk, thread and mixed media Hosted by Korea Bojagi Forum (KBF)
2016
Western Kentucky University and Western Kentucky Museum, KY One-day workshop: “Korean Pojagi Workshop with Visiting Artist Wonju Seo” Taught classes to create a mini gub-bo (a double-layer pojagi) by hand
2015
Newark Museum, Newark, NJ One-day workshop: “Making a Pojagi (Korean Patchwork) with Wonju Seo” Taught classes to create a hot-bo (a single-layer pojagi) by hand
2015 Charles B. Wang Center, Stony Brook University, NY One-day workshop: “Fabric Origami Techniques with Wonju Seo” Taught classes to create small pojagi using dragon ball patterns 2015
Korea Society, New York, NY Four-day workshop: “Lucky Pouches”
2014
Charles B. Wang Center, Stony Brook University, NY One-day workshop: “Patchwork by Hand” Taught classes to create small pojagi as teacup saucers. Gave PowerPoint presentation to introduce Korean colors used in traditional Korean hanbok and pojagi
2014
Korea Society, New York, NY Four-day workshop: “Pojagi (Korean Patchwork) with Wonju Seo” Taught classes to create a hot-bo (a single-layer pojagi) by hand
2013
Korea Society, New York, NY Four-day workshop: “Traditional Korean Neck Pillows with Wonju Seo” Taught classes to create two neck pillows by hand using pine nut and other pojagi patterns
2012 Lee Young Hee Museum of Korean Culture, New York, NY Two-day interactive workshop: “Discovering Korean Colors” Workshop for multicultural families in New York hosted by the Ministry of Korean Culture, Sports, and, Tourism and the Korean Arts & Culture Education Service (KACES, http://eng.arte.or.kr)
54 ——— BIO AND RESUME
BIBLIOGRAPHY Min, Dami. “Dreaming Art as Life.” KoaLife Korean-American Lifestyle Magazine 13, no. 3 (March 2013): 34–39. Park, Jongwon. “Contemporary Bojagi Artist Wonju Seo; Korean Artist in NewYork Series 113.” Korea Daily (New York), January 31, 2011. PRINT MEDIA Jacobson, Aileen. ‘Origami Heaven’ Unfolds. New York Times, December 3 2015. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/06/ nyregion/origami-heaven-unfolds.html Jacobson, Aileen. “Seeing Asian Cultures, Through an Indigo Lens.” New York Times, April 13, 2014. https://www.nytimes. com/2014/04/13/nyregion/seeing-asian-cultures-through-anindigo-lens.html. Jin, Jinyoung. The Deep Blue: Korean Patchwork by Wonju Seo. Permanent exhibition of the Korea Hall at El Faro a Colón in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, exhibition catalogue. Published by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Dominican Republic, December 2014. Shine, Sunny. “Korean Color-field Abstract Bojagi Artist Wonju Seo.” Mom & I Korean-American Lifestyle Magazine (January 2015): 30–33. Sumner, Christina. “Considering Bojagi: Traditional and Contemporary Korean Wrapping Clothes.” TAASA Review: The Journal of the Asian Art Society of Australia 20, no. 3 (September 2011): 17–19. RADIO / TV/ ONLINE / BLOG Schweinfurth Art Center. “Art Installation at Onondaga Community College Celebrates Korean Culture.” Syracuse. com, July 18, 2018. https://www.syracuse.com/living/index. ssf/2018/07/art_installation_at_onondaga_community_college_ celebrates_korean_culture.html Deayton, Gail. “Artist of the Week: Wonju Seo, Contemporary Bojagi Artist.” Interview (in English). Hong Kong Art Tutoring, November 16, 2014. http://hkarttutoring.com/artist-weekwonju-seo. Ragans, Rosalind. “ArtTalk and Exploring Art.” McGraw-Hill fine arts textbooks. Online art textbook (in English, Spanish), 2012. Sung Yoojin. Interview (in Korean), March 21, 2013. KBR: Korean Radio Broadcast Co., New Jersey. COLLECTION Newark Museum, C. Cutting Bequest Fund, NJ Charles B. Wang Center, Stony Brook University, NY Many wearable and hangable art collections were purchased by private individuals.
Through My Window, 2018 (details) 16 W x 32 H inches each, total of 5 pieces Hand-sewn textile Korean silk, colored silk thread
WONJU SEO ——— 55
56 ——— FOREWORD