GAT Paper Lamp
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(2019)
After a heavy summer rain, I appreciated the beauty of nature as sunshine squeezed into sparse patches of the dark clouds. I started this project with aesthetic consideration, exploring how I could translate raw inspiration into refined everyday objects.
Korea Hangi’s Properties:
Hanji, made in Korea, is mainly made from mulberry trees (called ‘Dakjuk’ in Korea) and is known for its excellent durability and unique balance of toughness and flexibility. It is widely used as a crafting material in various fields such as architecture, crafts, and art due to its exceptional preservability of shape. Depending on the crafting method, it allows for diverse texture expressions, resulting in a high level of completeness in the finished product. In this sense, I chose 'Hanji' as a raw material that can most similarly describe the fluffy cotton-like texture of nature to create the shade of lighting.
Hanji, made in Korea, is mainly made from mulberry trees (called ‘Dakjuk’ in Korea) and is known for its excellent durability and unique balance of toughness and flexibility. It is widely used as a crafting material in various fields such as architecture, crafts, and art due to its exceptional preservability of shape. Depending on the crafting method, it allows for diverse texture expressions, resulting in a high level of completeness in the finished product. In this sense, I chose 'Hanji' as a raw material that can most similarly describe the fluffy cotton-like texture of nature to create the shade of lighting.
1. Durability and flexibility
2. Preservability of shape
3. Endless craft techniques
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First step: Profound understanding of ‘Hanji’ characteristics:
In
order to deeply explore the material, I delved into 'Hanji' crafts by reading
several informative books and visiting 'Hanji' museums to become
aware of the delicate textures and traditional techniques developed by theIntangible Cultural Heritage "Hanji Jang" (masters of Hanji
craftsmanship). While it took almost two weeks to comprehend the crafting
methods, this process was highly meaningful and necessary for me.
![]()
In
order to deeply explore the material, I delved into 'Hanji' crafts by reading
several informative books and visiting 'Hanji' museums to become
aware of the delicate textures and traditional techniques developed by theIntangible Cultural Heritage "Hanji Jang" (masters of Hanji
craftsmanship). While it took almost two weeks to comprehend the crafting
methods, this process was highly meaningful and necessary for me.
![]()
In order to deeply explore material, I delved into 'Hanji' crafts by reading several informative books and visiting 'Hanji' museum to become aware of the delicate textures and traditional techniques developed by Intangible Cultural Heritage "Hanji Jang" (masters of Hanji craftsmanship). While it took almost two weeks to comprehend the crafting methods, this process was highly meaningful and necessary for me.
Hanjijang Hong Chun-soo
Second step: Training skills of processing raw material:
Probably
you've heard about 'Imitation is the mother of creation.' After acquiring
knowledge, I followed the fundamental crafting techniques to create 'Hanji.'
The steps in making 'Hanji' are relatively straightforward, yet each stage has its own challenges due to the vulnerability of environmental conditions.
Although I couldn't work in a professional setting, I went through a warming-up
process to overcome difficulties and find ways to make 'Hanji' under limited
conditions.
Probably
you've heard about 'Imitation is the mother of creation.' After acquiring
knowledge, I followed the fundamental crafting techniques to create 'Hanji.'
The steps in making 'Hanji' are relatively straightforward, yet each stage has its own challenges due to the vulnerability of environmental conditions.
Although I couldn't work in a professional setting, I went through a warming-up
process to overcome difficulties and find ways to make 'Hanji' under limited
conditions.
In
particular, I encountered the adventure of creating 'Hanji' without using
ready-made, high-quality paper. Following the traditional method, I
approach it deliberately, taking one step at a time, even if this
journey requires significant time and effort. As I progressed through each
stage, I noticed self-confidence in developing my own applying techniques.
Key experiments:
To create a refined material, I established essential marks and immersed myself in experiments.
1. Solidity and Durability
- Testing glue concentration
- Applying glue to cut 25-mm square shapes in a mold
- Pasting varying textures of sheets of paper together
- Blending glue with porridge-like paper to assess optimal thickness for toughness.
- Comparing paper particle sizes: porridge-like paper, fluffy mass, and cut square shapes of 25mm.
- Comparing drying times: from 1 day to 3 days (environments may be a factor)
- Drying paper within different environmental conditions: humid or dry spots.
2. Aesthetic consideration
- Coloring after paper has dried (difficult to apply color evenly due to the absorption quality)
- Mixing figments before drying (more decent quality than coloring after drying)
- Slowly permeating ink to express a gradual gradient effect
Third step: Crafting a unique texture based on the experiments:
I selected several crafting techniques that met the criteria of essential marks and conducted in-depth experiments.
I selected several crafting techniques that met the criteria of essential marks and conducted in-depth experiments.
- Blending glue with shredded paper
- Applying glue to the surface
- Pasting varying textures of sheets
of paper together
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Pattern design highlighting the shade's center:
