Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism to Participate in Dubai Design Fair “Showcasing K-Crafts”

Kim Jun-yong’s ‘Dusk’./Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 7th that it will participate in the ‘Downtown Design Dubai’ exhibition held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) from the 8th to the 11th to promote the entry of Korean crafts into the Middle Eastern market.

Downtown Design Dubai is a design and craft exhibition held during ‘Dubai Design Week’. It is the largest design event in the Middle East with participation from over 30 countries and more than 250 brands, artists, and designers. The ministry decided to participate in the event to actively promote Korean culture and K-crafts in the Middle East following President Yoon Seok-yeol’s visit to the UAE in January.

At this exhibition, 26 craftworks by six artists including Kim Jun-yong, Ryu Ji-an, Son Dae-woon, Lee Sang-hyup, Jo Sung-ho, and Heo Sang-wook will be showcased. Kim Jun-yong is a glass craft artist who was a finalist for the ‘2018 Loewe Craft Award’ and is active in European and American art fairs. Ryu Ji-an became a hot topic as the creator of the moon jar gifted by President Yoon to President Joe Biden and his wife. He will once again showcase the charm of the Korean moon jar in the Middle East.

Son Dae-hyun is the number one intangible cultural asset of Seoul City as an Ottchil craftsman, and is considered the greatest master in the traditional lacquer craft field. Lee Sang-hyup expressed traditional Korean forms in silver and was named the ‘2023 Craftsman of the Year’. Jo Sung-ho received high praise for his delicate metal form works at the Milan Korean Craft Exhibition, and Heo Sang-wook will present works that interpret the Buncheong technique with a modern aesthetic.

In addition to participating in exhibitions and trade shows to promote Korean crafts in the Middle Eastern market, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism supports trade education and export consulting for craftsmen and workshops. It also plans to establish a permanent craft exhibition hall in the ‘K-Brand Overseas Promotion Center’ to be established in the UAE next year for full-scale market penetration.