Metal Craftsman Seo Do-sik Solo Exhibition at Gallery MIM until June
Muscles Lost to Cancer Treatment, Embracing Copper Plates and Hammering 4 Hours a Day
Metal Jars with Rich Volume, Showcasing Hammered Jar Reliefs
Metal craftsman Seo Do-sik described the theme of this exhibition, Find your light, as "A time devoted to finding the light and finding myself, and a record of that process." Photo by Gallery MIM
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] A sudden cancer diagnosis, followed by a malignant lymphoma verdict. Metal craftsman Seo Dosik has battled illness for the past eight years, crossing the brink of death multiple times. During chemotherapy, his muscles wasted away and his eyesight gradually deteriorated. For him, who gained fame for his delicate and detailed craftwork, working felt like a distant memory. However, once treatment ended, the artist headed straight to his studio. Every day, he began hammering silver and copper plates for four hours. His attending physician advised him to give up working to avoid physical strain, but lacking the strength to strike hard, he continued hammering with just enough force to make contact. Thus, six metal moon jar vessels were born.
Seo Dosik’s solo exhibition "Find your light," held at Gallery MIM in Insadong, Seoul, is the result of his year-long journey of dedication. Presenting six metal moon jars and nine bas-relief works depicting moon jars, he described the exhibition as “a record of the time and process devoted to finding the light and finding myself.”
The moon jars he created through nearly 10,000 hammer strikes boast a smooth and soft appearance comparable to ceramics. The process involves specially ordering silver plates measuring 60cm by 60cm with a thickness of over 1cm, hammering them starting from the edges to bend, and then shaping them into a circular form?a process requiring endless hammering. Seo said, “I repeated the work of hammering silver plates for four hours straight every day,” adding with a smile, “Although my muscles weakened during chemotherapy and doctors advised me to stop, ironically, this situation became a motivation to focus more on my work.” He also mentioned that through repeated work, his muscles strengthened and his stamina recovered.
The battle with illness, like a deep tunnel, gave him an opportunity to reflect on life beyond his work. Having served as an educator and artist at Seoul National University for over 40 years, he said after retiring in February, “Being able to focus solely on my work now is the happiest time.” Seo explained, “Because my work involves hammering metal and raising curved surfaces, the noise was intense, and I faced complaints from fellow professors at the university, making it difficult to work properly. So, I set up a studio in an industrial complex where I can devote myself to creation without limits.”
In this labor-intensive and noisy work, he focused on the sound of hammering without wearing earplugs, concentrating on raising the curved surfaces. Since the changes on the surface are fully revealed through sound during the process of hammering over ten thousand times, he repeatedly touched the surface with his fingertips and focused on the sound to create texture.
Why did he abandon the meticulous craftsmanship characterized by thorough planning and precise detail, which he had adhered to like a creed for a long time, and instead focus on the full-bodied moon jars? The artist confessed, “The rich volume and fullness of the jars made my dry heart feel abundant and warm. Creating curved moon jars by softly wrapping silver and copper plates to soften the sharpness of the metal sheets, in line with my work motto, became a source of comfort for me.”
He said he wants to continue working on pieces that allow him to focus on the light he finally faced and on himself. Seo shared, “My respected master craftsman Lee Bongju, even past his nineties, arrives at the workshop earlier than his juniors and hammers brass thousands of times to make bangjja brassware. This makes me reflect on the need to focus more diligently on my work. While my past work focused on form and standards, going forward, I want to expand into themes that highlight free expression and diversify materials, expressing myself through various objects including these moon jars.”
The exhibition runs until June 30 at Gallery MIM in Insadong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
