Korean patchwork focus of new quilt exhibition

More than 100 antique and contemporary Korean pojagi (pieced and quilted wrapping cloths; pronounced Po-Jah-ki) as well as examples of traditional and contemporary pojagi costume form the newest exhibition to open at the International Quilt Study Center and Museum at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

"Pojagi: Patchwork and Quilts from Korea," on display through Nov. 16, explores a rich portion of the long tradition of Korean textile art and includes wraps, wall hangings, cultural costumes and designs which look as if they have stepped off today's fashion runways.

Pojagi has been created for centuries in Korea and is that particular Asian culture's type of textile wrapping material. The wrappings were made in bursts of colorful patchwork or imaginative embroidery, in fine and coarse materials, and from small to large scale. It was in pre-modern Korea, particularly during the Choson dynasty (1392-1910), that pojagi became a Korean cultural icon. This exhibition includes pieces dating back to the 19th century. The pojagi on display is of the category called "min po," which literally means "people's wrapping cloths" and were made by ordinary women for domestic use. This Korean art tradition reflects simple and natural harmonies derived from nature and asymmetrical design. Korean music and poetry, painting are used to integrate the variety of textile interpretations in the exhibition.

The majority of pojagi on display are from the extensive collection of Soon-Hee Kim, director of the Chojun Textile and Quilt Art Museum of Seoul, South Korea. Her collection is deemed a national treasure in her home country. Chojun Textile and Quilt Art Museum is the only museum of fabric art and quilts in Korea. Kim has been recognized by the South Korean government for her work in preserving Korean culture. She also creates her own artwork, many of which are included in the new pojagi exhibition.

Kim is a member of the advisory board of the International Quilt Study Center and Museum. In honor of the new museum's opening last spring, she loaned a collection of clothing and ornaments of the Miao people to UNL's Lentz Center for Asian Culture, where it is on exhibit through Aug. 29.

The mission of the International Quilt Study Center and Museum includes the research and display of quiltmaking traditions from all over the world. "Pojagi: Patchwork and Quilts from Korea" is the first in a series of exhibitions titled "Quilting Across the Globe." Over the next several years, the museum will present exhibitions focused on the quilts of many different countries, including India, Pakistan, France, Japan and the United Kingdom. Funding for this exhibition and for the "Quilting Across the Globe" series was provided by the Robert and Ardis James Foundation.

A special Pojagi Family Day is scheduled 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 20 at the museum.

The International Quilt Study Center and Museum, 1523 N. 33rd St., is open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sundays; closed Mondays and major holidays. Docent-led tours begin at 11 a.m. Wednesdays and 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturdays. Admission is $5 for adults; $3 for non-UNL students with ID and children; $10 for families; free for children under 5, museum members, and UNL faculty, staff and students with ID. For more information, call (402) 472-6459 or visit www.quiltstudy.org. The International Quilt Study Center is an academic program of the Department of Textiles, Clothing and Design in the UNL College of Education and Human Sciences.

The links below are to color JPEG images of pieces in "Pojagi."