ddp design fair

Written by Seyoung Lee (Graphic Designer, CEO of Gallery Joseon Minhwa)

It takes a lot of effort and energy to create Korean-style designs

It is too one-dimensional to find and apply Korean-style iconography for Korean-style designs. This is something we do for design assignments. The way we live is Korean style, and the way we drink water is also Korean style. The way we live represents Korean style, but in general, Korean style refers to something traditional. However, tradition is embodied in images, icons, colors, lines and other things. It is important to pay careful attention to these small details. Korean-style designs can be expressed differently depending on each individual's perspective and taste. Instead of merely adopting a Korean-style image, being fully immersed in the work and taking pleasure in the work will be much more meaningful. Designers say they go to art galleries, museums, and libraries to get inspiration but I have a different point of view. Something Korean has nothing to do with Korean-style iconography. To draw something and achieve a result, you need to stay around the object and take pleasure in that. In the midst of that joy and excitement, you need to fully immerse yourself in something. Immersion does not merely mean sitting a long time in the same position and feeling focused. It requires a tremendous amount of effort. The results vary greatly. Creativity is about making something different from others. It takes a lot of effort and energy.

Mysterious world of beauty found in Hangeul and Minhwa

I think the most creative things in Korea are Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, and Minhwa, Korean folk art. It is because they are letters and drawings created with our own originality. Scholars of Jiphyeonjeon (Academy of Worthies, a royal research institute established by the Great King Sejong) initially opposed the introduction of Hangeul, and each letter was confined within a square block for over 500 years until recently. Even though King Sejong did not design each letter to be fit within a square block, Hangeul has been restrained for a long time. Minhwa was also looked down upon. Only literary paintings and royal court paintings were regarded as great art while Minhwa was classified as genre painting and was never treated as a painting. A man named Muneyoshi Yanagi from Japan introduced Minhwa by saying, “When you go to Joseon, there is a mysterious world of beauty.” This encouraged many Japanese people to come to Korea and buy folk paintings. The world of beauty that could not be seen in Japanese culture existed in Joseon.

In fact, Korean-style beauty is not something you see in a museum. It is something already part of our daily lives. It is like a DNA that has continued passing through generations. Our passion will help us discover this beauty. We might discover art full of vibrant energy just by paying attention to the things we used to ignore.