10 Seoul Women Craft Center Resident Companies Participate as Korean Representatives at Taiwan Craft Expo

From 19th to 22nd, Various Crafts Including Lacquerware Introduced at '2020 Popup Asia'

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Ten resident companies of the Seoul Women’s Craft Center are participating exclusively as representatives of Korea at '2020 POP UP ASIA,' Taiwan’s largest craft fair and handmade & design exhibition, showcasing beautiful and creative Seoul crafts to the world. This is the first time that resident companies of the Seoul Women’s Craft Center have entered POP UP ASIA.

The city announced on the 18th that it will exhibit 10 creative craft pieces by outstanding female artisans from Seoul in the main program of POP UP ASIA, '10 Cities 10 Crafts,' held from the 19th to the 22nd at the Songshan Cultural and Creative Park in Taiwan. Ten Asian cities including Seoul, Tokyo, Macau, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur are participating.

From coasters made of cowhide lacquered and decorated with mother-of-pearl geometric patterns that blend tradition with sophistication, to bamboo eyeglass strap sets inspired by the traditional hat strings (gat-kkeun), and ceramic incense holders, crafts such as upcycling, lacquerware, and leatherwork will be introduced to artisans, investors, and buyers from various countries.

This participation in POP UP ASIA is the result of continuous exchange and cooperation since 2018 between the social enterprise 'Daily Art Creation Center,' which operates the Seoul Women’s Craft Center under consignment, and the POP UP ASIA organizers. After previously showcasing Taiwanese crafts at the Seoul International Handmade Fair, this time POP UP ASIA requested their participation.

This year, considering the inability to participate on-site due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), both offline on-site exhibitions (Asian City Booths) and online exhibitions via the website will be held simultaneously. The city expects this to be an opportunity for craft entrepreneurs, whose activities have been constrained by COVID-19, to promote their brands on the Asian stage and open new overseas markets.

Kim Young-jing, director of the Seoul Women’s Craft Center, said, “Korean crafts attract great interest in overseas markets due to their detailed craftsmanship and unique designs. Although this year has been challenging with difficulties such as participating in overseas fairs due to COVID-19, we will continue to support overseas expansion through this POP UP ASIA exhibition.”

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