Jogakbo: Traditional Korean Patchwork

The Baron and Ellin Gordon Art Galleries present a Korean vernacular textile art form, Jogakbo: Traditional Korean Patchwork, from May 9th- June 21st, 2009. A venerable tradition, these textiles offer a beautiful and engaging vehicle for cross-cultural exchange between Korean artists, the Old Dominion University campus and residents of Hampton Roads. Such an exchange would not have been possible without the dedicated efforts of the Ssamzisarang Boudoir Craft Research Center located in Seoul, the capitol of South Korea.

Bojagi (wrapping cloths), from which jogakbo have developed, are perhaps the most unique form of Korean textile art. This tradition occupied a prominent place in the daily lives of Koreans of all classes. Though traditional, it is strikingly contemporary in form. The designs and colors of bojagi remind one of the works of some modern artists and have been described as a true form of abstract expressionism. Patchwork bojaki, called jogakbo, were made exclusively by and for the common people using various colors of small remnants. The aesthetic sensibility with which these discarded scraps of cloth are manipulated makes jogakbo excellent and appealing works of art. The artists in this exhibition work in this vernacular form in order to carry a traditional Korean art into the future.

Jogakbo represents another collaborative international art exchange presented in the Atrium of the Gordon Art Galleries that follows an exhibition of World War II Era International Military Posters from the Czech Republic Military History Institute in Prague, for Norfolk's 56th International Azalea Festival's "A Salute to NATO-Czech Republic" showing April 17th -May 5th, 2009.