Yixing Purple Sand Pottery Arts Factory leads tea-making culture and art investment in ChinaA small tea pot made headlines around the world in 2010 when it was sold for 12.32 million RMB ($1.94 million) at China Guardian’s auction in Beijing. It was not made of diamonds or gold, but of purple sand by renowned Chinese potter Gu Jingzhou. Acclaimed artist Wu Fan did the tea pot’s engravings.Though unfamiliar to many, purple sand has been considered a top-quality material for making tea utensils s

Late photographer Limb Eung-sik’s works take viewers on a journey back in timeWar refugee children stare at the camera with hungry eyes and muddy clothes in a photo taken in Seoul in 1950. Only 20 years later, though still captured in black and white, women are gaily walking down the shopping streets of Myeong-dong decked in hot pants and miniskirts. South Korea’s dramatic changes from the 1930s up until the 1980s captured by late photographer Limb Eung-sik are on display at the National Museum

Organizers keen to see how public reacts to Han Hyo-seok’s controversial work at ‘HOMA Curator Project’Not one but 18 curatorial teams got together to make a single art exhibition and fair. South Korean curators ranging from debutants to veterans organized “HOMA Curators Project,” composed of their mini exhibitions, which is currently underway at Hongik Museum of Art in Hongik University, known for its top-notch art program.The first division of the two-part show is organized by 11 acclaimed ar

Children who received art and culture education supported by a local company became less depressed, aggressive and self-critical, while becoming more creative, curious, humorous and content with life, according to a recent survey. Researchers including Kim So-young, professor of business administration at Sookmyung University announced such results after conducting in-depth interviews and surveys of 100 participants of the “Hanwha Art Plus” program. Hanwha group has been offering the “Hanwha Art

Over 100 works by South Korean artists from up-and-coming to veterans on auctionHerald artday, a subsidiary of the Herald Media group, opens its second online auction on Friday. It will roll out 105 artworks by acclaimed South Korean artists ranging from up-and-coming figures such as Mari Kim, Lee Woo-lim and Heo Yang-gu to, veteran artists such as Lee U-fan, Kim Tschang-yeul, Suh Seok and Kim Chong-hak. Smaller artworks will also be available, selected especially for the Christmas season. Nota

Damien Hirst does not consider himself a serious gambler. He likes to play roulette “because it’s easy.” And he tells a story about learning the “fail-safe rules for blackjack” from his London gallerist Jay Jopling, only to lose all of his money at the table within two hours.But when it comes to the art world, Hirst is known for a showy sort of risk-taking, even if at 46 his prime rock-star-style binge partying days are largely behind him. His most famous artworks hinge on a sort of brinkmanship

The National Museum of Korea on Tuesday reopened its Neolithic and Paleolithic period exhibitions which were temporarily closed last month for renovation.Some 1,000 relics from the time periods are featured in the newly renovated exhibition halls. Of the items, about 600 are being exhibited for the first time. The new rooms have the latest video features, strengthening the interactive aspect of the exhibitions. The museum’s Paleolithic section features some 500 stoneware relics, which are believ

Check out the latest designs at a notable design fair kicking off Wednesday at COEX Hall B in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul. Celebrating its 10th year, Seoul Design Festival 2011 is gearing up for a big five-day run packed with a variety of special exhibitions under the slogan “Designer Promotion.” Nine famed design figures from different design sectors and countries will hold lectures during the festival as well, including Spanish graphic designer Javier Mariscal who is known for the design of

 Classical Music“Seoul String Quartet”: This group, which led the Korean chamber music performances in the 1950s and ‘60s, will hold a concert on Dec. 18 to celebrate its comeback. The new members, star violinists Wayne Lin and Shin A-rah, violist Huang Hung-wei and cellist Park Sang-min, will play Mozart’s String Quartet No. 21, Smetana’s String Quartet No. 1 and Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 3. Lin, a former member of Juliard Orhestra and the Yale Philharmonic, currently leads the first fi