Hanji: Embracing Color featuring works by artist Lee Seung-chul
Hanji: Embracing Color explores the visual, tactile, and sculptural possibilities of hanji, traditional Korean paper, through the work of artist Lee Seung-chul. The exhibition brings together contemporary hanji sculptures, naturally dyed works, historical paper artifacts, and forms inspired by Korea’s cultural heritage, revealing how a material traditionally used for writing, architecture, crafts, painting, preservation, and everyday objects continues to inform contemporary art.
Lee’s works include Buddhist sculptural forms in gold and stone-like colors, multicolored moon jars evoking classical porcelain dalhangari, fragments inspired by bandaji chest furniture, and bojagi wrapping-cloth works using traditional natural dyes. The exhibition also presents books and official papers collected by Lee that date to Korea’s Joseon Dynasty, offering context on hanji’s long cultural history. His practice draws on more than 40 years of research into hanji, natural pigments, conservation, color reconstruction, and the ways materials change and endure over time.
When: August 20–November 20, 2026
Pre-opening reception: Wednesday, August 19, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.; registration is required
Reception program: Brief remarks by featured artist Lee Seung-chul followed by a self-guided tour of the exhibition
Venue: Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C., 2370 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Artist: Lee Seung-chul
Featured works and materials: Hanji sculptures, natural-dye works, hanji relics, moon jars, Buddhist forms, bojagi-inspired textiles, bandaji-inspired furniture fragments, handmade hanji, fabric, gold leaf, and lacquer
About the artist: Lee Seung-chul has spent more than three decades researching hanji and natural dyeing, including the material changes, color transformations, preservation, memory, and continuity inherent in natural materials. His work reinterprets traditional Korean forms rather than simply reproducing them, creating a contemporary visual language grounded in cultural-heritage conservation research. He has presented his research and work at institutions and forums including the Cité internationale des arts in Paris, the Louvre Museum, ICPAL in Rome, the Vatican Museums, and Fabriano in Italy.
Tickets: Price not available
Note: The page does not specify regular exhibition hours, an exhibition run time, age restrictions, or accessibility information.