{"title":"Han Gyeul","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eHangyeol is a Korean woodworker and lacquer artist who calls himself a \"maker,\" and he has worked with wood since age twelve under the influence of his father, a master traditional woodworker. Each vessel begins as zelkova (\u003cem\u003ekeyaki\u003c\/em\u003e) wood grown on Jirisan, which he carves and refines over several days into its own form before the lacquer work starts. The urushi comes from lacquer trees he raised himself. He harvests the first raw sap from eight-year-old trees, working from dawn until night for a month, then refines it and applies it in twenty coats, baking the piece in a kiln after each one. Many pieces warp or crack along the way, and only those that survive all twenty rounds go on to resist moisture and heat, hold their shape, and avoid rot. The result is a deep, glossy black that shows the wood's weaknesses overcome. The baking also removes the roughly five years raw lacquer normally needs to cure, so the finished pieces are ready for hot liquids, microwaves, and dishwashers right away. The forms are clean and unfussy, with agile curves that leave the grain visible, made to hold any food or drink and settle into daily life. His background also includes audio: he holds a patent related to amplifier production and often builds lacquered speakers, since lacquer absorbs electromagnetic waves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"I hope everyone who sees these works will smile brightly.\"\u003c\/em\u003e — Han Gyeol\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0696\/9261\/collections\/IMG_7720.jpg?v=1791398805","url":"https:\/\/www.teadealers.com\/collections\/han-gyeul.oembed","provider":"Tea Dealers","version":"1.0","type":"link"}