Gallery Royal, operated by Royal & Company, is opening the craft exhibition <Hammer, Shape, and Fill> to the public free of charge through October 7.
<Hammer, Shape, and Fill> is a lifestyle craft series exhibition featuring leading Korean metal craft artists Kang Woong-ki and Kim Min-sun, along with ceramic artist Song Min-ho. It was conceived to show the process by which their works blend naturally into daily life and to offer a new opportunity to enjoy the beauty of craft pieces.
In particular, the exhibition is drawing considerable attention as a meaningful occasion to see, all in one place, works by Kang Woong-ki—who brought the excellence of Korean craft to the world by winning the metal category artist award at the 2009 Philadelphia Craft Show—along with those of Kim Min-sun and Song Min-ho, who have established their own distinctive artistic worlds through numerous solo exhibitions and group shows.
Using minimal structures, the exhibition builds two houses named the ‘Dining’ room and the ‘Living Room,’ with a total of 106 ceramic and metal craft pieces that can actually be used displayed in each space. In particular, through this new exhibition format for arranging the artists’ works, it presents the possibility of enjoying art more closely in everyday life.
An official from Gallery Royal said, “Gallery Royal has actively introduced artists working across a wide range of visual creative fields,” adding, “This exhibition shares the same direction as the corporate philosophy of Royal & Company, which champions art within everyday life.”
Meanwhile, Gallery Royal has been introducing artists who are actively working without genre boundaries within the framework of contemporary art. In the first half of this year, it held exhibitions with a variety of artists—including noted metal craft artists Ju So-won and Seo Do-sik, and visual artist Lee Hye-min—earning a positive response from the public.
△Metal craft artist Kang Woong-ki won the metal category artist award at the 2009 Philadelphia Craft Show with his signature work, the teapot. He continues to create works that are practical yet rare, and simple yet artistic, and in this exhibition he newly presents a variety of tableware, lighting, and lacquerware pieces. △Metal craft artist Kim Min-sun has presented tableware and jewelry works that harmoniously transform concise forms composed of lines and planes. △Ceramic artist Song Min-ho, who creates honest and understated white porcelain, presents works that focus on harmony with the food to be served in the vessels and on harmony among space and people, rather than on ornateness.