Over 200 Studios Nationwide to Join
Traditional and Lifestyle Crafts on Display
Diverse Events Including Master Craftworks Hall and Natural Dyeing Exhibition
Gwangju City will host the 14th Bitgoeul Handmade Fair at the Kimdaejung Convention Center from August 22 to 24 to revitalize the local handicraft industry and promote craft culture.
Now in its 14th year, the event is organized by the Gwangju Design Center Foundation and will feature participation from over 200 craft studios, cooperatives, and universities from across the country. The fair will showcase a wide range of items, from traditional crafts such as textiles, hanji (Korean paper), ceramics, metalwork, and woodworking, to lifestyle crafts including household ceramics, natural soaps, dyeing, and leather goods. There has also been a significant increase in participation from craftspeople outside the region, including those from Seoul and Gyeonggi Province.
The venue will feature a variety of spaces, including a promotional hall for outstanding craft brands, a star craft product exhibition hall, a local university hall, craft experience booths, a special exhibition hall for master craftworks, and a pop-up hall from the Korea Natural Dyeing Museum. The master craftworks hall will present pieces by master artisans from the region, while the pop-up hall will host an exhibition themed "Korean Natural Dyeing Techniques."
The opening ceremony will take place at 2:00 p.m. on August 22 at the entrance to the first-floor exhibition hall of the Kimdaejung Convention Center, and will also include a plaque presentation ceremony for the designation of OHANDS brand products.
The event will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and admission is free.
Lee Sinhwa, Director of Content Industry at Gwangju City, stated, "The Bitgoeul Handmade Fair not only helps expand sales channels for the local craft industry, but also demonstrates its potential as a cultural tourism content."
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