现代艺术家延续韩国传统的造纸工艺

 

The traditional Korean paper called Hanji was once famous across Asia for its strength and ability to be used for multiple purposes.

Now only a small number of rural paper factories produce Hanji.

But Korean-American artist Aimee Lee is dedicated¹ to continuing the 2,000-year old tradition through her artwork and teaching. And some of the artwork she creates using the paper can be worn as clothing, she says.

“The very first dress that I made out of Hanji was a western dress. But as I was making more dresses, I thought just in the way that I explored Korean paper … I thought it would be wonderful to explore Korean dress.”

The dress and Lee’s other artwork created with traditional Korean paper are part of a group exhibition. It is being shown during the month of May at the Korean Cultural Center in Washington, DC. The exhibition marks the celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month.

Jeanne Drewes is the chief of binding² and collections care at the Library of Congress. She says the exhibition shows how similar paper and cloth can be, and how either material can fit the same purpose.

“Delicacy³ and strength is what I found in Korean paper … That comes out in this exhibit. This exhibit is so wonderful.”

Aimee Lee was born in New York. Her dedication⁴ to Hanji started when she traveled to Korea in 2008 with a U.S. Fulbright grant to research disappearing traditional paper arts. She studied at a paper factory in a rural village run by the same family for four generations.

The head of the family holds the special position of Korean National Intangible Cultural Property holder⁵ of Hanji making. The holders⁶ of these positions are considered masters of the arts.

On her return, Lee opened a studio to teach the making of Hanji at the Morgan Conservatory⁷, a non-profit arts center in Cleveland, Ohio. Each fall, Lee says she collects material from the mulberry trees in its garden for use in the traditional paper making process.

“I gather … plant material from outside and then have to go through the process of … sorting the parts you need and then cooking it in special solutions, and then … beating it and then making paper. And then making the art from that.”

Lee has brought her Hanji paper making classes to art museums and universities across the U.S. More of her students, Lee says, are not ethnic⁸ Koreans. They want to learn more about the culture.

Lee’s artwork includes both traditional and more modern paper objects. Her love for the paper has also led to her writing a book called Hanji Unfurled: One Journey into Korean Papermaking.

And she says she plans to continue making Hanji for as long as she can.

“I still feel like there is so much I can do and learn. And so I continue to use it, and I don’t really see an end in sight.”

Words in This Story

dedicated – adj. having very strong support for or loyalty⁹ to a person, group or cause

exhibition – n. an event at which objects, such as works of art, are put out in a public space for people to look at

binding – n. the cover of a book

delicacy – adj. the quality of being very carefully and beautifully made

grant – n. an amount of money that is given to someone by a government or company to be used for a particular purpose

mulberry tree(s) – n. a type of tree that has purple berries that can be eaten

1 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

2 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

3 delicacy   

n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴

参考例句：

• We admired the delicacy of the craftsmanship.我们佩服工艺师精巧的手艺。
• He sensed the delicacy of the situation.他感觉到了形势的微妙。

4 dedication   

n.奉献，献身，致力，题献，献辞

参考例句：

• We admire her courage,compassion and dedication.我们钦佩她的勇气、爱心和奉献精神。
• Her dedication to her work was admirable.她对工作的奉献精神可钦可佩。

5 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

6 holders   

支持物( holder的名词复数 )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物

参考例句：

• Slaves were mercilessly ground down by slave holders. 奴隶受奴隶主的残酷压迫。
• It is recognition of compassion's part that leads the up-holders of capital punishment to accuse the abolitionists of sentimentality in being more sorry for the murderer than for his victim. 正是对怜悯的作用有了认识，才使得死刑的提倡者指控主张废除死刑的人感情用事，同情谋杀犯胜过同情受害者。

7 conservatory   

n.温室，音乐学院；adj.保存性的，有保存力的

参考例句：

• At the conservatory,he learned how to score a musical composition.在音乐学校里，他学会了怎样谱曲。
• The modern conservatory is not an environment for nurturing plants.这个现代化温室的环境不适合培育植物。

8 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

9 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。