Bojagi are traditional Korean wrapping cloths. They were used to wrap, cover, carry, or store objects in daily life, on special occasions, and in religious rituals. Koreans believe that bojagi can not only wrap an object but can also enclose bok (福, 복, good fortune or happiness). The act of making bojagi also carries wishes for the well-being and happiness of its recipients. The labor of love and the good wishes felt while making the bojagi imbue the item with the affectionate energy of the maker.
Jogakbo, patchwork bojagi, embodies the philosophy of recycling, as the wrapping cloths are made from remnants of leftover fabric. Jogak means a small piece’ in Korean. There are many types of jogakbo, defined by the materials used, size, construction, and design.
Using Korean traditional stitch and seam techniques, Youngmin will teach basic jogakbo construction in this workshop. Bojagi construction involves hand stitching, which can be very relaxing. While working on your bojagi, wish for the happiness and well-being of the recipient of your finished bojagi.
All sessions will be held online over Zoom and recorded. Recordings will be emailed to participants within 24 hours of the session. Recordings are available for one year. Live sessions are scheduled as follows:
-
Workshop Session 1: Saturday, May 17, 2025: 12:00 -2:00 pm ET (convert timezone)
-
Moderated Meetup: Wednesday, May 21, 2025: 7:00-8:00 pm ET (convert timezone)
-
Workshop Session 2: Saturday, May 24, 2025: 12:00 -2:00 pm ET (convert timezone)
Please contact us at events@surfacedesign.org for pricing details if you are outside of the United States and Canada and would like to take this workshop.
Gallery
About Your Instructor
Youngmin Lee is a textile artist using bojagi tradition and techniques to create her work. Her interest in textiles led her to study Clothing and Textile in college and received an MFA in Fashion Design in South Korea. She has researched bojagi making and techniques and endeavor to apply her findings to both in traditional and contemporary art. She actively works on preserving the bojagi tradition that embodies the philosophy of recycling and up-cycling, as the works are made from pieces of fabric leftover from other projects. She is working closely with Asian American community with community engaged projects and workshops. She founded the Korean Textile Tour in 2017 to introduce Korean traditional textile art and culture to bridge broader audiences. Youngmin’s works have been exhibited and collected internationally. Her new book, Bojagi: The Art of Korean Textiles with Techniques and Project, is coming in 2024.