b. 1953

 

 

Jongryang Kim stands as one of Korea’s most accomplished masters of mother-of-pearl inlay and lacquerware, a discipline he entered in 1966 and has since elevated through decades of innovation and devotion.

 

Rooted in the lineage of traditional najeonchilgi, Kim’s work fuses the precision of inherited technique with a contemporary sensibility, transforming time-honored motifs—such as the peony arabesque—into vessels of cultural memory and refined beauty.

 

His acclaimed series Soul of Ten Thousand Years, presented at the Tongyeong International Triennale and OMAE Gallery, reflects a meditative dialogue between permanence and impermanence, material and light. From the National Museum of Korea during the 2010 G20 Summit to the Milan Furniture Fair, Kim’s works have resonated in both national and international arenas.

 

Honored with the “New Korean Cultural Figure Award” in 2010, his artistry is preserved in esteemed collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the State Guest House at Incheon International Airport, and the Tongyeong City Museum. In Kim’s hands, lacquer and nacre are not merely materials but luminous scripts that inscribe Korea’s craft heritage into the language of contemporary art.

 

New Dream Journey to to the Peach Blossom Land, najeon mother-of-pearl ottchil rami cloth red pine wood panel, 670x244x3cm, 2016-2020