Blogg: Examensarbete Weaver’s block

Bosong Kangs examensarbete HTU 2 2026, Weaver’s block

During my time in Sweden, I found my interest in Korean crafts and art to be even stronger. As the only Korean (probably the first) at HV I often represented my country whether I liked it or not; I sometimes felt ashamed when I realized there were things I didn’t know even as a Korean, which led me to take a greater interest and look into them further. The significance of textiles that I realized while studying at HV also played a part of inspiration. I was impressed by the fact that they are preserved as mediums embracing history and time beyond mere art, and that they continue to be researched and explored.

As these thoughts came to mind, I thought it would be meaningful to use Eastern materials and Western techniques to complete my ‘Examensarbete’. As I was looking for materials, I remembered Chaekgeori, a genre of Korean folk painting that I had long been intrigued by. ‘Chaekgeori’ translates as ‘Books and things’, refers to a style of still-life painting that flourished in Korea from the late 18th century to the first half of the 20th.

My interest lies in the incorporation of patterns, details, and the diverse forms of the world into textiles. Therefore, I personally found the damask technique very interesting, so I wanted to explore damask in greater depth and further develop it by adding the concept of tapestry weaving to the basic mechanics of damask to move away from traditional methods, thereby realizing experimental expressions.

/Bosong Kang, Högre Textil Hantverksutbildning åk 2, 2024-2026