(ANN/THE KOREA HERALD) – The renowned Lady Dior handbag from the prestigious French luxury brand Dior has undergone a transformative journey since its debut on Princess Diana’s arm in 1995.
Originally presented as a gift by the first lady of France, the handbag has evolved into a globally cherished accessory.
Since 2016, Dior has embarked on a series of artistic collaborations, turning its iconic Lady Dior handbag into exquisite works of art.
The latest instalment, the eighth edition of the Dior Lady Art project, involved partnerships with 12 artists hailing from various corners of the world.
Notably, this edition showcased a record number of Korean artists, including Ha Chong-hyun, Lee Kun-yong, and Zadie Xa, making it the most substantial Korean representation in collaboration with Dior for this project.
The exhibition “Dior Lady Art by Ha Chong-Hyun” is running at the House of Dior in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul, showcasing 11 masterpieces by Ha, together with the Lady Dior bags inspired by the artist’s renowned “Conjunction” series.
“Bordering on monochrome, his artworks seem to acquire colour as the light passes through them… for Dior, Ha Chong-hyun chose to transpose four of his emblematic paintings into a series of Lady Dior (handbags), playing with nuances and materials,” a description of the artist’s collaboration with the brand reads at the exhibition.
Ha is a key member of the “Dansaekhwa” movement, a loose group of Korean artists who led the genre of monochrome paintings in the late 1960s and 1970s.
Ha has explored his signature “Conjunction” series for more than 50 years, reimagining the concept of painting and canvas. He creates a unique texture on the front side of the canvas that he makes out of hemp cloth, pushing thick layers of paint from the backside of the burlap, allowing the paint to ooze through.
He calls this technique “baeapbeop” — literally, a “back-pressure technique.”
The works on display at the exhibit include “Conjunction 74-26,” which was shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Other artists’ collaboration for the Dior Lady Art project can be seen on the first floor of the fashion house in Seoul, including two bags created with Korea’s leading avant-garde artist Lee Kun-yong.
Lee’s “Body Scape,” which captures the natural movements of his body as they dictate where the lines fall on the canvas, has been turned into a Lady Dior handbag.
Korean-Canadian artist Zadie Xa has extensive experience as an installation artist who explores diasporic identities based on her cross-cultural background. Her motifs include Korean mythology and folklore, which turn into paintings “framed” by Korea’s traditional quilting technique, evocative of “bojagi,” a traditional Korean wrapping cloth.
Lee Bul, in 2017, was the first Korean artist to participate in the Dior Lady Art project.
