Bojagi - Youngmin Lee's Blog

It was a pouring Saturday but 50th anniversary celebration was making the Asian Art Museum very festive and alive. I was there to lead/ help growing our community bojagi.

Do you remember I started this project last fall? You can see how this bojagi is growing and holding more happy thoughts from museum visitors. During Saturday and Sunday our bojagi was fast growing and next time when I come back with this, you will see the finished one!

Leaving home for 6 days to attend the Empty Spools Seminars was a big adventure that I was waiting for! My friend Carlene came all the way from Hawaii a few days prior to the event and we started our journey together on Sunday morning.  This time, I was taking class about bojagi from well know art quilter/ teacher, Jeannette DeNicolis Meyer. Her workshop was "Sheer Play: Painting, Designing and Constructing with Translucent Fabric". The most interesting thing for me was that she is going to use Bojagi techniques! I know how to do bojagi technique but curiosity was leading me to this wonderful teacher and I am so glad I signed up her class and get to know her! 

Fabric painting, fusing and designing with my fellow fabric artist classmates were FUN! I enjoyed every moments in the class room and had a taste of my goal-getting free from my own limits and set rules. Making bojagi with non-Korean traditional materials was my first attempt to getting out of the box. Second attempt was making irregular shaped bojagi. And Jeannete's class made me feel that I took another step to a freedom. Finally! 

  Another thing that I enjoyed a lot was making friends. Camaraderie, curiosity and creativity made us have strong bond and I am so happy and grateful. You only see a few friends here but I made more :)

When I have a gut to share my 6 days of creative design attempt, I will post pictures of them. Someday~

Oh, I am so spoiled! I lived without making meals for almost a week and now it's time to go back to the reality..... What's for dinner, honey?

It is nice that we can celebrate New Year twice a year! I went to the Oakland Museum of California to participate in LNY celebration. Many people call this Chinese New Year but other countries are celebrating it, too. Koreans call the Lunar New Year's day Seollal. Making some special foods and give a respect to ancestors and wish for happiness, prosperity and good health of their family and friends. In Korea, many people visit their parents or grandparent to celebrate the holiday together. This causes big traffic jam in major highways in Korea every year. 

This year at the Oakland Museum, I met museum visitors by leading "community bojagi" activity. I cut Obangseak (오방색), the five cardinal colors silk fabrics. Yellow, Blue, White, Red, Black of 5 colors represent 5 cardinal directions. 

Yellow-Center

Blue-East

White-West

Red-South

Black-North

At the end of the day I got many pieces from many people and ready to make it into a big bojagi. Everybody put their effort, time and good wishes into this project and I am excited to share this powerful and meaningful bojagi soon!