Chonnam National University Craftwork Recognized by Three Major Global Art Museums

Blue Wave No.5 by Kim Hyunju, Professor of Crafts in the Department of Fine Arts at Chonnam National University. Photo by Chonnam National University

The work of Kim Hyunjoo, Professor in the Craft Major of the Department of Fine Arts at Chonnam National University, has been permanently included in the collection of the Auckland War Memorial Museum, a leading cultural institution in New Zealand, with the research-based creative education of the university thus being recognized by a global cultural institution.

According to Chonnam National University on February 26, Professor Kim Hyunjoo’s work “Blue Wave No.5” has been added to the official collection of the Auckland War Memorial Museum in New Zealand. This acquisition is in the form of a permanent collection, in which the work will be preserved long-term as research, exhibition, and educational material for the museum. It signifies that Professor Kim’s practice has been continuously acknowledged for its artistic value within the international art system.

“Blue Wave No.5” is a work that contemporarily expands the “Kkeuneumjil” technique of traditional Korean mother-of-pearl craft, characterized by the construction of a highly dense surface through attaching pieces of mother-of-pearl one by one onto a metal base form. Through a repetitive process of arranging thinly cut mother-of-pearl in micro units, the work realizes a sculptural language in which materiality and temporality are accumulated, forming layered tonalities that shift according to the angle of light.

In particular, the contrast between the solid structure of the metal and the delicate texture of the mother-of-pearl nevertheless creates a single organic landscape, drawing attention as it reveals a unique presence generated through the hand-crafted, repetitive process. The rhythmic arrangement on the surface of the work evokes the flow of waves, visually embodying the movement and vitality of nature.

This work is evaluated as an attempt to reinterpret traditional craft techniques as a contemporary visual language, and to extend the temporality and spirituality inherent in Korean aesthetics within the context of contemporary art.

This acquisition follows earlier inclusions of Professor Kim Hyunjoo’s works in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, demonstrating that her work is being successively recognized by major art institutions around the world. It serves as an example that proves both the contemporary potential and international expansibility of traditional Korean craft, and is evaluated as a meaningful achievement in which the university’s creative research outcomes have led to inclusion in the collections of global museums.

A representative of Chonnam National University stated, “This achievement shows that the university’s artistic research and creative education are directly connected to the international art scene,” adding, “We will continue to strengthen our global competitiveness through art education that combines research and creation.”