The Korea Herald

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Explore 'everyday luxury' at Craft Trend Fair 2024

By Park Jun-hee

Published : Dec. 10, 2024 - 14:32

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Poster for the 2024 Craft Trend Fair (Korea Craft and Design Foundation) Poster for the 2024 Craft Trend Fair (Korea Craft and Design Foundation)

The 19th edition of the Craft Trend Fair will kick off Thursday at Coex in southern Seoul, shedding light on "everyday luxury," from luxury goods crafted by artisans to items of everyday use.

The four-day event, which will be held under the theme "Extraordinary Objects that Shine in My Life," is organized by Kang Jae-young, the artistic director of the 2023 Cheongju Craft Biennale.

Some 280 exhibitors, including international and overseas galleries and related craft institutions, including those from Italy, Japan and Taiwan, will showcase the aesthetics of each nation's crafts and feature works of under-the-radar artisans. Items such as tableware, kitchenware, furniture and lighting will also be presented.

Seminars will also take place on the sidelines of the craft fair to discuss how to advance the craft industry. Korean author and YouTuber Cho Seung-yeon, Executive Director of the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship Alberto Cavalli and Yuji Akmioto, the executive director of "Go For Kogei," will be among those taking part in the sessions.

Buyers from the Middle East, Europe and Asia are expected to attend the event, which the KCDF hopes will lead to an increase in sales and export opportunities for the participating artists and brands.

Meanwhile, the award ceremony for the Craft Prize 2024 winners will also take place during the event's opening. The winners are Chang Yeon-soon, who specializes in dyes and fibers and was a finalist for the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize in 2018; media company Design House; and Rheem Mi-sun, the artistic director of this year's Gyeonggi Ceramics Biennale and the Cheongju Craft Biennale in 2021.