Lacquer Artisan Crafting 400 Million-Won Watches, Captivating the World [K Artisan Era①]

Meguro Gajoen Lacquer Art Restored Over 3 Years
"Lacquer Art Maintains Beautiful Shine for Over 5,000 Years"
New Path Presented Using Techniques of Our Ancestors
"Avoiding Shallow Tricks Brings Near Perfection"

Editor's NoteThese days, the world is enthusiastic about Korean songs, dramas, movies, food, and culture. However, the first field where Korea was recognized as the best in the world was manufacturing. Korean-made TVs and semiconductors have been praised as the best and luxury brands worldwide for decades. Not only in intangible culture but also in making actual products, Korean hands move skillfully. Korean artisans have also begun to challenge the world. Asia Economy presents stories of K artisans who challenge the global market based on traditional Korean manufacturing techniques to readers.

Master lacquer artist Jeon Yong-bok entered the elevator decoration sample along with his pet dog Chui, who followed him inside and posed together. Photo by Younghan Heo younghan@

Lacquer is a liquid that comes from the lacquer tree. It has excellent waterproofing, durability, and adhesion. It does not discolor even when soaked in harsh chemicals. Our ancestors applied it to furniture and ornaments. Even after many years, it retains a gloss as if freshly made. Lacquer artisan Jeon Yong-bok (73) described it as 'vitality.'

"It is the energy that lasts for 10,000 years. Only lacquer can achieve this. I recently started studying English because I want to spread it widely. It would be embarrassing if an interpreter is needed (laughs)."

He is an artisan who restored lacquer works at Meguro Gajoen (目?雅敍園), a historic Japanese banquet hall, over three years. He operated the Iwayama Lacquer Art Museum for seven years and spreads the excellence of lacquer by training disciples in various ways. He believes it is a necessary task for this era and a duty as a successor.

"Western oil paints are difficult to maintain their colors. If varnish or glue is applied for preservation, it might be fortunate, but at least once every 50 years, it must be reapplied, so the original colors inevitably change. No matter how great the masterpiece, the colors fade, leaving only classical value. Lacquer is different. Look at our ancestors' works. They have preserved their beautiful luster for over five thousand years. It is nothing short of miraculous."

Lacquerware artisan Jeon Yong-bok is painting the 'Sound of the Wind' series at his studio in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Younghan Heo younghan@

This conviction comes from experience. Meguro Gajoen is a massive lacquer mass and an art collective. The works restored in 1991 numbered about 5,000 pieces. It was an enormous workload requiring 100,000 person-days over three years. The lacquer used amounted to 10 tons.

The first works Jeon Yong-bok was commissioned to restore were about one-tenth of the total. The owners who saw his work were encouraged. After three months, the plan was revised, and he was entrusted with over 2,000 pieces. They also ordered creative works unrelated to restoration. Thus, most of the artworks recycled in the new Meguro Gajoen building passed through his hands.

However, the process was not smooth. Especially, the lacquer elevator ordered by the management was an overreach. Mitsubishi Elevator could not apply lacquer over chemically coated steel plates. Although it would dry, discoloration or peeling within ten years was inevitable.

Jeon Yong-bok requested to be entrusted with the base coating. He was confident because it was a technique used by our ancestors. He made dozens of palm-sized steel plates for experiments, lacquered them, and dried them at different temperatures. After about three months of testing, he found that 270?280℃ was the best curing temperature.

The Hands of Lacquerware Artisan Jeon Yong-bok Photo by Younghan Heo younghan@

There was one more challenge. The elevator metal plates were over 3 meters long, unlike the experimental plates. A kiln (a facility for firing charcoal, ceramics, tiles, bricks, etc.) capable of high-temperature curing was needed.

Jeon Yong-bok searched for brick factories in the Kawaimura area and obtained 6,000 refractory bricks. He laid red bricks at the bottom, placed the steel plates on top, and covered the roof with slate. He drilled three holes in the wall and inserted gas flames, completing a fairly plausible kiln. After curing the metal lacquer at high temperature and rapidly cooling it, he produced hard lacquered metal plates.

Jeon Yong-bok produced thirty-four lacquer elevators. He selected original paintings from Meguro Gajoen's collection and formed a special team mainly of art students who were there for training. Using mother-of-pearl inlay, they expressed the textures of Haetae and peacocks' bodies and applied colorful lacquer with painterly techniques to finish. He stated, "I wanted to make the elevator not just a means of transportation but a small gallery."

I met lacquerware artisan Jeon Yong-bok at the Jeon Yong-bok Art Space in Anseong, Gyeonggi-do, and heard stories about his works and experiences. Photo by Huh Young-han younghan@

"It's wonderful to ride the elevator and see the paintings all around. Thousands of people use it daily, yet it still shines brilliantly without a single small scratch. This proves that users value and handle it carefully. I am confident it will shine unchanged for over 1,000 years. It will also protect passengers' bodies because beneficial bio-substances come from lacquer. I felt this during the Meguro Gajoen restoration. In the last six months, I could hardly sleep, but thanks to the tremendous energy (氣) from the lacquer room, I endured. Even now, there is lacquer on beds and various places in my home. That's the secret to my active life at seventy-three."

Afterward, Jeon Yong-bok collaborated with ThyssenKrupp Elevator (now TKE Elevator Korea) to make lacquer elevators. Recently, he was commissioned by the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organizing Committee to produce elevators for the main stadium, Mizuno Park Athletics Stadium. In Korea, they can be seen at Busan Hyupsung Marina G7 and Yongsan-gu Mokdan House in Seoul. The price per unit ranges from 2.5 to 3 million KRW for silver screen and 5 to 10 million KRW for hand printing.

The most highly valued work is a clock. Jeon Yong-bok saw great potential while mastering high-temperature curing. He wrestled with a 3 cm copper plate for over six months to make a sample. He proved its durability by striking it with a heavy hammer without cracking and began full-scale production. The sample clocks made were three types, all rectangular models made of gold, inspired by the golden Jungjonsa Geumsaekdang made with lacquer. The clock faces included thirty-four patterns using gold and mother-of-pearl.

The problem was adhesion. Even after about ten layers of coating, it did not stick well. Microscopic examination revealed a thin film like vinyl between the lacquer and gold plate. Scraping with a scalpel showed it was hardened white oil. The gold plate is shaped by scraping gold little by little, but the company that worked on it did not remove the oil at that time. Jeon Yong-bok recalled lacquer applied on glass, dried tightly, and scraped powder. He scratched the gold plate, inserted the powder into the gaps, and adhered it, solving the problem.

After three years of dedication, he made twenty regular high-end watches, three premium watches, and one top-grade watch. This is the so-called 'Jeon Yong-bok Lacquer Art Series.' It was first exhibited at Meguro Gajoen in May 2008. The regular high-end and premium watches were priced at 3.7 million yen (about 33.09 million KRW) and 12.5 million yen (about 111.8 million KRW), respectively, and sold out instantly. The top-grade watch found its owner after four months. The selling price was 52.5 million yen (about 469.58 million KRW), approximately 840 million KRW at the time.

Jeon Yong-bok also applies lacquer to electric guitars, pianos, violins, and more. Inspired by lacquer's property of absorbing electromagnetic waves, he continues to explore various applications. He emphasized, "This is tradition."

An enlarged section of one of the works from 'Baram-ui Sori' (Sound of the Wind)

"We must change with the times. But tradition must not be exploited. We must express it in current ways while keeping principles. This is the true way to continue the great heritage of tradition left by our ancestors."

Now, he is recognized in North America and Europe as well. He frequently receives calls asking for lacquer techniques and tips. From next month, he will stay in the United States for a while. He will systematize various secrets academically and teach at Midwestern University.

His disciples are accustomed to the absence of a master. They have concretized their artistic world through occasional inspections. The forms are diverse. When people think of lacquer, most imagine mother-of-pearl inlay. However, in his workspace in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province (Jeon Yong-bok Art Space), it is rarely seen. Instead, wood, metal, ceramics, fabric, and paper are prominent.

One of the works cherished by artist Jeon Yong-bok, "Sound of the Wind"

This shift in perspective stems from Jeon Yong-bok's advanced ideas. He pioneered a new art genre with panel works measuring 3 to 4 meters. He unfolds infinite imagination with rich colors and sharp brushstrokes. It started with ceramics. When he ran a furniture workshop like other lacquer artisans, he accidentally saw works from the Nakrang period 1,200 years ago in a reference book and felt a strange resonance. Although layers of time had settled, the colors were brilliant. The description said it was the 'Watae lacquer technique applied to pottery or ceramics.' There was no one to teach him. He had to rely solely on literature and learn by himself.

While researching Watae lacquer, Jeon Yong-bok fell in love with the pure charm of lacquer. He experienced countless failures with color detachment but eventually discovered the secret of drying at high temperature. It was 'high-temperature curing,' where lacquer was applied on freshly fired ceramics without glaze and dried under high heat. The works created this way caused a great sensation at exhibitions. Seeing the potential, Jeon Yong-bok completely withdrew from furniture and turned to focus solely on creation as an artist.

His panel works have been popular enough to be introduced at events like KIAF Seoul Global Art Fair last year. Prices range from 100 million to 1 billion KRW. Each boasts more brilliant colors than Western paintings. People who only know lacquer as black find it unfamiliar. They sometimes doubt what paint was applied over the lacquer. In fact, painterly expression was a technique excellently used by ancestors in murals and Buddhist halls. Jeon Yong-bok said, "I take pride in doing new work based on tradition."

Lacquerware artisan Jeon Yong-bok is painting the 'Sound of the Wind' series at his studio in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Younghan Heo younghan@

"Those who preserve the old ways are admirable too. The orthodox method is certainly a precious value. But that does not mean the value of those who do not follow it exactly can be discounted. Variations based on orthodox methods are the flow of the times. For example, Goryeo celadon and Buncheong ware differ greatly in production techniques. However, the latter is based on celadon clay. It evolved and developed from late Goryeo celadon to have its own characteristics. Our people used it as daily tools for 500 years. That is how new traditions are created."

He also learned tradition through lonely challenges. Lacquer dries only with moisture. Many lacquer artisans spray water from the start, fearing wrinkling or poor drying. Some mix petroleum. However, pure lacquer dries rapidly and carbonizes when water is sprayed. When colored with multiple colors and dried quickly, the colors become ugly. Before lacquering, moisture must be removed in a drying room and dried slowly.

Jeon Yong-bok realized this through repeated research based on materials obtained from the Industrial Technology Research Center in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. The lacquer refining and drying methods they taught were all methods used by our ancestors. The secrets that disappeared domestically during the Japan-Korea forced annexation were systematically organized and used by them. Around that time, he noted in a corner of his work diary as follows. It might be the secret to pioneering a new path for lacquer.

Lacquerware artisan Jeon Yong-bok stood in front of large-scale works displayed at Jeon Yong-bok Art Space in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province. On the right is "Return Home," an abstract painting of a salmon, and on the left is "Universe." Photo by Younghan Heo

'Lacquer absolutely demands perfection. Not only in design and decorative expression but also in the complete understanding and recognition of lacquer as a material. Only by refusing to take shortcuts or accept shallow tricks for convenience can the full potential of lacquer's diverse qualities be maximized.'