Craft Exhibition Reinterpreting "Chaekgado" Opens at Incheon Airport

Featuring Masters Including Lee Jaeman and So Byungjin

Interior view of Dongguan's 'Perspective of Traditional Craftsmanship'.

The National Heritage Promotion Agency will hold a permanent exhibition titled "Coexistence of Bookshelves: The Time of Craft" at the Korea Traditional Culture Center in Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport, starting from April 20, 2026.

This exhibition reinterprets "Chaekgado," a traditional painting from the Joseon Dynasty, from a modern perspective. Chaekgado depicts books, ceramics, stationery, incense burners, and other items arranged on a bookshelf.

The National Heritage Promotion Agency expands the spatial concept of Chaekgado from two-dimensional painting into three-dimensional space. Instead of the objects depicted in Chaekgado, the exhibition presents works by holders of National Intangible Heritage titles alongside contemporary craft pieces, highlighting the inheritance and transformation of Korean crafts. Twelve participants contributed to this project, including Lee Jaeman, a master of ox horn craft; So Byungjin, a traditional woodworker; Kim Sooyoung, a master of brassware; and Son Daehyun, a Seoul Metropolitan Intangible Heritage lacquerware craftsman.

Seogwan 'Expanded Perspectives on Craft' Showcase.

Inside Dong-gwan's "The Perspective of Traditional Craftsmanship," works by masters of National Intangible Heritage are showcased, focusing on the skills and aesthetics of Korean traditional crafts such as ox horn inlay, lacquerware, brassware, and woodcraft. Seo-gwan's "Expanded Perspectives on Craft" features pieces that reinterpret traditional techniques with a contemporary sensibility.

The exhibition is open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at both the Dong-gwan and Seo-gwan areas of the Korea Traditional Culture Center, located inside the departure hall of Terminal 2.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.