Pojagi in Seoul

POJAGI [Bojagi in Korean] is the traditional 'patchwork' style of fabric construction, often from sheer fabrics, used originally as wrapping cloths to carry food, and all sorts of other goods - [the original GREEN BAG].

The POJAGI Forum in Seoul, Korea, had opened. I was hoping to go, but too much is happening for me back home.
However, I am thrilled to be included amongst the 35 invited International artists to exhibit at the conference.
If you have facebook, got to this link - there are some brilliantly wonderful works from all over the world posted here.

These are my contributions:

This piece is called 'Out of the Box' a linked series of about 15 x 3D silk forms [3 - 5 cm each], some tea dyed, with the traditional flat pojagi seams.

The next is 'Devil's Dice' - a statement about the mining industry's impact on the Australian interior.

This is the silk that I dyed with rust and green tea - amazing results from white silk.

This one is a little more traditional and inspired by the upcoming 'Peace Flag' project that many of us are involved in [World Peace Day - 21st September]



This is my statement sent to accompany the work for the PPP and promotion.

My Appreciation of ‘Pojagi’

I have always had a great connection with the qualities of ‘Simple, Honest and Noble’. The Korean pojagi, the Japanese boro, the Australian wagga, are all examples of textiles lovingly repaired and patched with whatever fabric was available. Not necessarily things of beauty, they have become objects of history, with a life and soul of their own, imbued with the energy of the time and place of creation. These traditional reconstructed fabrics were made in harsh times when money, materials and opportunities were scarce, but ingenuity, camaraderie, and ‘making do’ was prevalent. I imagine the [mostly] women sitting together sharing scraps of fabric, creating new and functional items for the home and family, at the same time sharing problems, hopes and dreams. The fabrics stirred memories from previous generations, helping to reinforce the traditions, stories and cultures that made each group or village autonomous and individual.

I feel very sad that in today’s ‘throw away’ society, we have lost these valuable connections. In my own way, I try to honour the traditions of recycling and reusing in my arts practice, bringing old energies to new life, and as a consequence ‘treading lightly upon the earth’.

Noela Mills

August, 2012