Photography by casa serico
Lacquer
Seongho Kim
Najeon Chilgi Master, Cheongwon Craft Studio
Practice
Kim Seong-ho works across two distinct disciplines within Korean lacquer | geonchil, the technique of forming an object's body entirely from layered lacquer without a wood substrate, and najeon chilgi, the inlay of mother-of-pearl into lacquer surfaces. The former is among the most technically exacting practices in the medium, requiring the object's structure itself to be built through repeated lacquer application; the latter is the decorative tradition more commonly recognized in the West. His command of both places his practice at a structural level rarely addressed by najeon specialists alone.
His formation began in 1958 under Yongju Park, a lacquer artist recognized by the Joseon Art Exhibition, in whose Seoul atelier he trained for eleven years. In 1978, he founded Cheongwon Craft Studio, the independent practice through which all subsequent work has been produced.
Recognized in 2013 as a Master Artisan (Myeongin) by the Korean Federation of Arts and Culture Organizations, and designated in 2016 as a Skilled Technician Transmitter by the Korean Ministry of Employment and Labor, his standing within the field is a matter of institutional record, not self-designation.
Lineage
1958 - 1969 | trained under Yongju Park, Seoul, recipient of the Special Prize at the Joseon Art Exhibition 1978 | founded Cheongwon Craft Studio 2013 | designated Master Artisan (Myeongin), Korean Federation of Arts and Culture Organizations 2016 | designated Skilled Technician Transmitter, Korean Ministry of Employment and Labor 2016 | Korean Craft European Cultural Centre Tour, Brussels and London 2018 | invitational participant, Kanazawa Art Fair KOGEI, Japan 2022 | special exhibition, 1st Tongyeong International Triennale, "Tongyeong! Illuminating Najeon and Lacquer." 2023 | solo exhibition, Geonchil — The Apex of Korean Lacquer, National Intangible Cultural Heritage Center, Seoul 2023 | invitational, Contemporary Korean Najeon | 36 Masters, special exhibition, Mokpo
Atelier
Workshop
Photography by casa serico
Collection
Related works
Lacquer
No. 1
A closed, stone-like form built entirely from combed ottchil layers, no vessel opening, no interior to speak of. Light moves across the surface in one continuous direction, reading silver, violet, and pale green depending on the angle of view. The palest and coolest of Kim's three forms in this collection.
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Lacquer
No. 3
The same closed-form method as No. 1, worked toward a warmer register: copper and rose tones dominate, with a visible spiral concentration at the crown where the combed strokes converge. Denser in color than No. 1, with no change in structure or intent.
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Lacquer
No. 4
The darkest of the three, built up until the base tone reads near-black with garnet passing beneath the surface at certain angles. Where No. 1 withholds color, No. 4 concentrates it, the same closed form, worked to its furthest tonal point.
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