Making Hanji: Hands-On Korean Paper Workshop

These workshops will introduce you to Hanji, the traditional handmade paper of Korea. Made from the inner bark of the mulberry tree using techniques passed down for generations, Hanji is celebrated for its remarkable durability, natural texture, and beauty. Historically used for books, windows, clothing, and decorative arts, Hanji remains an important part of Korean cultural heritage and continues to inspire contemporary artists and craftspeople around the world.

Led by artist LEE Seung-Chul, participants will learn about traditional hanji-making techniques while creating their own handcrafted postcards using hanji. This workshop offers an opportunity to explore the sustainability, material sensitivity, and adaptability of hanji within both historical and contemporary contexts.

Please note: The workshop will first be held at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art, followed by an additional session at the Korean Cultural Center Washington.

Registration is separate for each session.

About LEE Seung-Chul

LEE Seung-Chul is an artist who expands traditional Korean art materials into the language of contemporary art. For over three decades, he has researched hanji, traditional Korean paper, and natural dyeing, exploring the material qualities, passage of time, and color transformations inherent in natural materials. Rather than simply reproducing tradition, he investigates how hanji and natural pigments change, accumulate, and endure over time, visualizing ideas of preservation and loss, memory, and continuity.

His work is grounded in extensive research on color reconstruction and material experimentation developed through cultural heritage conservation. Lee has also contributed to international forums on the diversity and future of hanji, with presentations and programs at institutions including the Cité internationale des arts in Paris, the Louvre Museum, ICPAL in Rome, the Vatican Museums, and Fabriano, Italy. His practice brings together research, education, and artistic production.

This workshop will take place in Korean with consecutive interpretation in English

This program is supported by and presented in cooperation with Dongduk Women’s University.