Jeong Da-hye's horsehair-woven vessel becomes first Korean piece to win Loewe Craft Prize

Jeong Da-hye's "A Time of Sincerity," a horsehair-woven vessel, has been named the winner of this year's Loewe Foundation Craft Prize. She became the first Korean artist ever to win the prize, awarded by the Spanish luxury fashion house to recognize working artists' contributions to modern craftsmanship. Korea Times photo by Park Han-sol

By Park Han-sol

A hand-woven vessel sways back and forth in even the gentlest breeze wafting through the room, glimmering in the light at each wiggle.

"A Time of Sincerity," a malleable yet surprisingly solid craft work borne from the hands of Korean artist Jeong Da-hye, has revived the centuries-old technique of making hats with horsehair.

The skill has been considered almost lost since the end of the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty, when it was used to weave noblemen's hats called "gat." Now, only a handful of artisans, mostly based on Jeju Island, continue the legacy stretching back over 500 years.

Her delicate vessel, where fine strands of horsehair are interwoven into geometric patterns inspired by the mid-Joseon era's "sabanggwan" hat, has become the first-ever Korean piece to be awarded the prestigious Loewe Foundation Craft Prize this year.

Launched in 2016 at the initiative of Jonathan Anderson, the creative director of Spanish luxury fashion house Loewe, the annual prize aims to recognize working artists' contributions to bringing "excellence, artistic merit and newness in modern craftsmanship," according to the foundation.

The fifth edition of the craft prize received more than 3,100 submissions around the world, which were whittled down to 30 finalists from 15 countries working in a range of mediums, from ceramics, textiles and leather, to wood, paper, glass and metal.

This year's shortlist included a total of seven Korean artists, the largest number ever.

Artist Jeong Da-hye stands next to her horsehair-woven vessel, "A Time of Sincerity." Courtesy of the Loewe Foundation

"Horsehair weaving is one of the most ingenious and unique craft techniques of Korea," the 33-year-old Jeong said during the awards ceremony held on Thursday evening at the Seoul Museum of Craft Art (SeMoCA).

"I don't think of my work as a solitary one. Rather, I consider myself to be working alongside the longstanding tradition of fiber crafts. (With this prize,) I am exhilarated to see the centuries-old Korean technique getting due recognition for its superiority and long history."

The jury of 13 highlighted the artist's dedication to bringing back the tradition with a contemporary touch, adding that there is a delicate perfection and surprising lightness beneath the work's simple guise. The vote for Jeong was almost unanimous, they noted.

Jeong was awarded 50,000 euros ($52,200) and a bowl-shaped trophy designed by acclaimed British silversmith Alex Brogden.

Two other finalists earned honorable mentions at the ceremony: South African ceramic artist, Andile Dyalvane, for his glazed stoneware "Cornish Wall" and Germany-based artist, Julia Obermaier, for her jewelry work, "Verborgen" that combines rock crystal with pigmented resin.

An exhibition showcasing the works of all 30 finalists of the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize 2022 is held at the Seoul Museum of Craft Art in central Seoul. Courtesy of the Loewe Foundation

All 30 shortlisted works are currently on display in the exhibition, "Loewe Foundation Craft Prize," at the SeMoCA in central Seoul. The prize's previous editions hosted shows at representative institutions dedicated to crafts and designs in Madrid, London, Tokyo and Paris.

Among them, Cote d'Ivoire-based creator Peter McCarthy created "Etoffe de Gloire / Royal Kita With Red Stripes," a textile piece made from the donation of hundreds of multihued zippers stitched together as an ode to Kita cloth of West Africa.

The London-based collective, Blast Studio, presents an otherworldly element of nature as a commentary on human-induced environmental destruction. It transformed heaps of discarded single-use paper coffee cups into an artificial "Blue Tree" that can once again function within an ecosystem.

Marianne Huotari's "Ananasakaama," left, and Blast Studio's "Blue Tree" / Korea Times photo by Park Han-sol

Also on view is Jung So-yun's "Someone is Praying for You," an ethereal, semi-translucent monofilament structure that is reminiscent of the serene mountainous scenery featured in traditional Korean ink-and-wash landscape paintings.

"The Loewe Foundation Craft Prize aims to celebrate tradition, material, technique, as well as innovative spirit embodied within the artists' works … During the screening process, we would see many Korean creators with some of the most brilliant and innovative ideas," Cho Hye-young, the appointed commissioner and one of the members of the expert panel for this year's prize, said during Thursday's press preview at the museum.

"A number of Korean artists propose a new ― sometimes daring ― approach and a way of interpretation in terms of the materials being used," she noted, adding that crafts can rise to be the face of Korean art.

"Loewe Foundation Craft Prize" will run throughout the month of July at the SeMoCA.

Jung So-yun's "Someone is Praying for You," above, and Pao Hui Kao's "Urushi Paper Pleats Bench" / Korea Times photo by Park Han-sol