Artisan Sanghyup Lee and Korea Zinc Receive 'Craft of the Year' Award from KOCCA

The Korea Craft & Design Foundation announced on the 23rd that it has selected craftsman Lee Sang-hyeop (Creative Category) and Korea Zinc Co., Ltd. (Mediation Category) as the winners of the '2023 Craft of the Year Award.'

Craftsman Sanghyeop Lee at work
Photo by Korea Craft & Design Foundation

Craftsman Lee Sang-hyeop creates works using the forging technique, shaping metal plates by hammering them. His representative work is a large moon jar made by hammering and spreading a 11kg silver plate tens of thousands of times. Over the past 20 years, he has showcased Korean metal craft skills to the world through solo and group exhibitions both domestically and internationally, while forming networks with the overseas craft community and contributing to the expansion of Korean craft culture, earning high praise.

Korea Zinc, the winner in the Mediation Category, is a comprehensive non-ferrous metal materials company. Since 2013, for 10 years, it has fully sponsored the operating expenses and prize money of the 'Metal Craftsman of the Year Award,' organized and operated by the Glass Craft Museum, to discover and nurture metal craftsmen, thereby contributing to the establishment of a creative foundation in the field of contemporary Korean metal crafts.

Korea Zinc logo
[Photo by Korea Craft and Design Foundation]

The 'Craft of the Year Award' is given to creators who contribute to the development of Korean crafts and continue active creative activities both domestically and internationally, as well as individuals or organizations in the mediation category who contribute to widely promoting craft culture. Established in 2018, this year marks its 6th edition.

Winners receive a trophy, prize money (15 million KRW for the Creative Category, 5 million KRW for the Mediation Category), and a commendation from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The trophy will be created by craftsman Ko Bo-hyeong (professor of Industrial Art at Hanyang University), the 2019 Creative Category winner.

The awards ceremony will be held at the '2023 Craft Trend Fair' in December. An exhibition of craftsman Lee Sang-hyeop will also be held concurrently.