Wire art is a relatively new thing in Korea. The work seems deceptively easy, as it appears to consist of little more than bending and connecting wires. It is, however, a complex and intricate form of art that requires creativity, dexterity, and imagination. On an evening featuring a spectacular sunset, three of Samhwa’s employees—Park Ji-yeong, Baek Seung-ah, and Kim Seon-ah—decided to try their hand at this interesting new craft.
The three young women, all of who are deputy managers at Samhwa, got together at Café Hey There in Seogyo-dong, Seoul, after a long day at work. Park works in the Color Design Team; Baek, in advertising design; and Kim, in market operations.
Lee Hyeon (age 25), today’s instructor, has built a thriving reputation and career in wire art despite his youth, having already held multiple exhibitions. Before he quit university and plunged full time into professional wire art, Lee majored in visual design like the three Samhwa participants he was instructing today. The instructor exchanges jokes to make everyone feel comfortable.
“Hey, you’re quite the artists, aren’t you?” says Lee, complimenting the draft designs the Samhwa ladies produced. That was when the Samhwa ladies learned that they had all majored in fine art. Of course, wire art is for anyone willing to try, regardless of whether one has had professional training in fine art. What makes wire art so appealing is that the result can look abstract and artsy even when the final product isn’t what the maker had envisioned.
The Samhwa ladies took out the photos they had brought from home as they were told to do before the class began. The theme of the class was “the happiest moment in your life,” and the participants brought photos capturing such favorite memories, gleaned from photo albums they had not opened in years. Kim brought a picture of herself giggling during a picnic. Park brought a picture of herself as a child, happy while holding an ice cream cone in her hand. Baek brought a picture of herself when she was an infant, with innocent eyes and chubby cheeks. The women began working on their designs, looking for inspiration in their respective photos. They seemed far less tired now that they had begun reminiscing about their happy days.
The ladies finished their designs so quickly that the instructor commented that the class was going faster than usual. This meant the ladies could now work with the wires, adhesive tape, and some pliers.
“It’s time for you to get as creative as you want. Use your designs only as references. It’s always a good idea to give attention to detail, like the texture of hair, to make the result look natural and appealing. Wire art is essentially like painting in a single stroke. Make sure you connect the wires whenever necessary. Let me know if you run into a wall and need help.” The three deputy managers nodded and began working the wires.
“I couldn’t get the ice cream the way I wanted,” said Park, who had more difficulty than the others because her design envisioned a smaller focal item. She could not express the details of the ice cream to her satisfaction. As the deputy managers complained about missing an eye or a nose or not knowing in which direction to continue their wires, the instructor continued encouraging them, telling them to use their pliers this way or that to make their work easier. “It will look different under proper lighting later, so don’t worry,” Lee said to the ladies, working intently.
Kim needed additional wires to add a heart to her image. Park used the little bit of spare wire she had left to add more detail to the background, as per the instructor’s advice, like the soil and blades of grass. Baek managed to capture the innocence of the baby with her details. “What an adorable baby! Looks like she had a good upbringing in a well-off family,” her colleagues commented.
All the wires have been connected, so now it’s time to remove the adhesive tape, which the Samhwa ladies did carefully and skillfully. They began viewing their own works against the backdrop of a wall as instructed. With the draft designs removed, they looked quite artistic and even geometric. The instructor cast light onto the works, and the shadows projected onto the wall made the works look different, depending on how far they were placed from the wall. Kim was the last to finish as it took some time to create the heart at the center of her work. She touched her work gently, expressing regret that she hadn’t made the face smaller.
The three Samhwa sisters admired and complimented each other’s work while taking so many pictures. The instructor told them to put their works in display cases and give them titles. Baek, whose baby self, according to her colleagues, seemed to have had a good upbringing in a rich family, named hers Young & Rich. Kim named hers Lady Heart, as the heart and the happy smile are the most defining features. Park named hers The Girl with Ice Cream, smiling at the re-creation of her younger self being happy with ice cream in her hand. The deputy managers know from years of art training that the results of artistic effort tend to bear resemblance to their creators. They were surprised to find that the results of their efforts, too, looked like them.
The class continued in a chummy atmosphere. Work and dating were by far the most talked-about topics. The girls also discussed some of the latest issues and exchanged jokes with the instructor, nicknaming him “the TMI teacher.” Baek, who had organized today’s outing, said she had a very happy Wednesday evening in the company of Kim, who enjoys company dinners, and Park, who expressed her intent to try some wire art again at home.
Interviews
Park
“On normal weekdays, I hurry home after finishing work, but I really enjoyed talking to and working side by side with my colleagues after work today. I will buy some wire and try one more time at home. Thank you for the great class.”
Baek
“I was afraid I’d make junk since I don’t have dexterous hands. All I did was connect wire, and I got the result that I wanted. It was amazing. I really enjoyed this evening in the company of my colleagues.”
Kim
“I like the way you can use wire to create abstract art. We all took this class together, but ended up making quite different things. I also enjoyed watching and hearing a bit about what my colleagues were like growing up. I think this would make a great gift.”
Wire art is a relatively new thing in Korea. The work seems deceptively easy, as it appears to consist of little more than bending and connecting wires. It is, however, a complex and intricate form of art that requires creativity, dexterity, and imagination. On an evening featuring a spectacular sunset, three of Samhwa’s employees—Park Ji-yeong, Baek Seung-ah, and Kim Seon-ah—decided to try their hand at this interesting new craft.
The three young women, all of who are deputy managers at Samhwa, got together at Café Hey There in Seogyo-dong, Seoul, after a long day at work. Park works in the Color Design Team; Baek, in advertising design; and Kim, in market operations.
Lee Hyeon (age 25), today’s instructor, has built a thriving reputation and career in wire art despite his youth, having already held multiple exhibitions. Before he quit university and plunged full time into professional wire art, Lee majored in visual design like the three Samhwa participants he was instructing today. The instructor exchanges jokes to make everyone feel comfortable.
“Hey, you’re quite the artists, aren’t you?” says Lee, complimenting the draft designs the Samhwa ladies produced. That was when the Samhwa ladies learned that they had all majored in fine art. Of course, wire art is for anyone willing to try, regardless of whether one has had professional training in fine art. What makes wire art so appealing is that the result can look abstract and artsy even when the final product isn’t what the maker had envisioned.
The Samhwa ladies took out the photos they had brought from home as they were told to do before the class began. The theme of the class was “the happiest moment in your life,” and the participants brought photos capturing such favorite memories, gleaned from photo albums they had not opened in years. Kim brought a picture of herself giggling during a picnic. Park brought a picture of herself as a child, happy while holding an ice cream cone in her hand. Baek brought a picture of herself when she was an infant, with innocent eyes and chubby cheeks. The women began working on their designs, looking for inspiration in their respective photos. They seemed far less tired now that they had begun reminiscing about their happy days.
The ladies finished their designs so quickly that the instructor commented that the class was going faster than usual. This meant the ladies could now work with the wires, adhesive tape, and some pliers.
“It’s time for you to get as creative as you want. Use your designs only as references. It’s always a good idea to give attention to detail, like the texture of hair, to make the result look natural and appealing. Wire art is essentially like painting in a single stroke. Make sure you connect the wires whenever necessary. Let me know if you run into a wall and need help.” The three deputy managers nodded and began working the wires.
“I couldn’t get the ice cream the way I wanted,” said Park, who had more difficulty than the others because her design envisioned a smaller focal item. She could not express the details of the ice cream to her satisfaction. As the deputy managers complained about missing an eye or a nose or not knowing in which direction to continue their wires, the instructor continued encouraging them, telling them to use their pliers this way or that to make their work easier. “It will look different under proper lighting later, so don’t worry,” Lee said to the ladies, working intently.
Kim needed additional wires to add a heart to her image. Park used the little bit of spare wire she had left to add more detail to the background, as per the instructor’s advice, like the soil and blades of grass. Baek managed to capture the innocence of the baby with her details. “What an adorable baby! Looks like she had a good upbringing in a well-off family,” her colleagues commented.
All the wires have been connected, so now it’s time to remove the adhesive tape, which the Samhwa ladies did carefully and skillfully. They began viewing their own works against the backdrop of a wall as instructed. With the draft designs removed, they looked quite artistic and even geometric. The instructor cast light onto the works, and the shadows projected onto the wall made the works look different, depending on how far they were placed from the wall. Kim was the last to finish as it took some time to create the heart at the center of her work. She touched her work gently, expressing regret that she hadn’t made the face smaller.
The three Samhwa sisters admired and complimented each other’s work while taking so many pictures. The instructor told them to put their works in display cases and give them titles. Baek, whose baby self, according to her colleagues, seemed to have had a good upbringing in a rich family, named hers Young & Rich. Kim named hers Lady Heart, as the heart and the happy smile are the most defining features. Park named hers The Girl with Ice Cream, smiling at the re-creation of her younger self being happy with ice cream in her hand. The deputy managers know from years of art training that the results of artistic effort tend to bear resemblance to their creators. They were surprised to find that the results of their efforts, too, looked like them.
The class continued in a chummy atmosphere. Work and dating were by far the most talked-about topics. The girls also discussed some of the latest issues and exchanged jokes with the instructor, nicknaming him “the TMI teacher.” Baek, who had organized today’s outing, said she had a very happy Wednesday evening in the company of Kim, who enjoys company dinners, and Park, who expressed her intent to try some wire art again at home.
Interviews
Park
“On normal weekdays, I hurry home after finishing work, but I really enjoyed talking to and working side by side with my colleagues after work today. I will buy some wire and try one more time at home. Thank you for the great class.”
Baek
“I was afraid I’d make junk since I don’t have dexterous hands. All I did was connect wire, and I got the result that I wanted. It was amazing. I really enjoyed this evening in the company of my colleagues.”
Kim
“I like the way you can use wire to create abstract art. We all took this class together, but ended up making quite different things. I also enjoyed watching and hearing a bit about what my colleagues were like growing up. I think this would make a great gift.”
Wall paint
친환경 벽지 페인트
