Stanley Picker Gallery is pleased to host Hanbok, a collaboration between Kingston School of Art (KSA) and the Royal School of Needlework (RSN), with support from the Hanbok Advancement Centre.
A Hanbok (Han: Korean, Bok: Dress) is a traditional Korean dress for semi-formal or formal attire during traditional occasions such as festivals, celebrations, and ceremonies. It is characterised by vibrant colors and simple lines without pockets. Although the term literally means “Korean clothing”, hanbok usually refers specifically to clothing of the Joseon period. Korea had a dual clothing tradition in which rulers and aristocrats adopted different kinds of mixed foreign-influenced indigenous styles while commoners preserved a distinct style of indigenous clothing, today known as hanbok.
Elinor Renfrew, one of the project leaders and Head of Fashion at Kingston School of Art described the collaboration process:
“The Hanbok Advancement Centre delivered their Global Fashion School Lecture programme at KSA with the purpose of providing information about the value of hanbok for students overseas. Our BA Fashion students, including those on our exchange programme, collaborated for the first time with BA Hand Embroidery for Fashion, Interiors, Textile Art students from RSN on a Hanbok inspired project during Kingston University Enrichment Week in February.
Justina Jang, Trustee of the Korean British Cultural Exchange, instigated the programme with support of the Stakeholder Engagement Team at Kingston University, Jennifer Edwards and Andrew Gill. Elinor Renfew led the KSA team Nabil Nayal, Mio Jin, Fiona Whitehead, Maria Piene, and Ezzidin Alwan, while RSN Course Leader Angie Wyman directed her team Sophia Malik and Emily Howse, and hosted a visit for Korean members to the group to Hampton Court Palace, where RSN is based.
Representatives from the Hanbok Centre in Seoul Lee Hae-mi and Kim In-Ja delivered engaging theory lectures and specialist skills workshops to second year students at both institutions, who worked in groups at KSA and individually at RSN.The Hanbok Advancement Centre provided fabrics and workbooks for the students to produce garments and embroideries inspired by Korean, and performed a Hanbok Dressing Ceremony that will be repeated at 7pm on the launch, Wednesday 13 March. The exhibition of KSA and RSN student outcomes displayed at Stanley Picker Gallery Lobby and Project Studio, will travel to Seoul at the end of the year.”
Participants listed in collaborative groups: Emanuele Bianco & Caterina Vio; Sunny Kim, Olivia Parker & Alice Walker; Emma Caldas, Ffion Martin & Molly Moreton; Mathilde Baud & Justin Rivera; Nataliya Grimberg, Riemke Ipema, Greta Schluter & Emily Stearn; Carolin Dieler, Kiara Julien & Jonah Solomon; Joy Julius, Yujin Lee & Kristin Manolova; Bella Kear & Sophie Spratley
Illustrations: Nataliya Grimberg
Performers: Sooyeon Jaekal and In hong Song