Handmade Korea Fair 2011

 I had mixed feeling about going to Seoul today to attend the Handmade Korea fair.  It was raining and pretty heavily and steady and I just wanted to stay home a day.  I also had never been to COEX myself and I have trouble with directions and then remembering where I was. 

But as you can see, my desire to see crafts overroad all my reservations and off I went to Seoul this morning.  I got the COEX and had to ask where the Exhibition Center was and then when I was at the Exhibition Center I had to ask again where the fair was.  But luckily the directions I received were excellent and I was able to find it without any trouble.

I found the ticket counter easily and paid my 10,000 WON for a ticket.  I then proceeded to the entrance where I was stopped.  I tried to give the attendant my ticket but he kept saying I needed a sticker.  After some confusion he took me to a counter in front of the entrance where he wanted me to fill out a form and give it to another station.  I looked at the form, entirely in Korean, and just took the form and my Korean namecard and gave it to that station.  They took it and gave me a sticker and told me to wear it.

 This was the first thing I saw when I got it.  I asked if I could take pictures and no one knew.

 I saw others taking pictures so I did too.

 So many wonderful and talented people.  The best part was that a lot of things were for sale too.

 The first thing I bought was from these girls.  They were so excited that they jumped up and down.  They also took my picture with what I had bought from them. 

                                                                   I found some hanji too.

                                                      I also found a booth with miniatures.

                                          I found this car in a back corner of the fair.

                                    I also found this artist by the car working on a painting.

                                 There was also furniture and I would call it futuristic.

                                I wasn't sure if this was to actually sit in or just to look at.

                                               The pottery I saw was spectacular.

There was even some pottery action.

 

                                                                  Aren't these darling?

                                                                 Her booth was pretty busy.

I did some buy and then it was time for lunch.  I saw an Uno's as in Chicago deep dish restaurant and I went to see what they had.  I settled on an overpriced 15,600 WON ($14.67 USD) chicken caesar salad.  I had never had a bad caesar salad until now.  The dressing had way too much anchovies in it to where it was overpowering and all you tasted.  It was horrible.  The chicken was cooked but not seasoned at all not even some salt and pepper.  I won't be going back.

Now to what I bought.  I have always wanted a Korean tea service and I found one I just had to have.  I passed by it many times and when I saw a mother and daughter really eyeing it I knew if they didn't buy it, that I would.  It took quite awhile for them to pack it up for me.  They had me sit down in the booth and gave me some grape juice.  How's that for service?

                              The artist also gave me this bag with one of her paintings on it.

                      She even gave me this bag with some of her paintings in postcard form.

                    Here are her postcards.  She was really excited a foreigner was buying from her.

                                                  Another booth had these cups.

                                                  And these.  I couldn't help it.

Being a foreigner can be a good thing. When I asked about taking pictures, they gave me a press bag.  WooHoo!

                            This is what I bought from the two girls I talked about earlier.

                                         I also bought this pojagi-like necklace.

                                                                 An air-dry clay Pororo.

                                     A hanji artist gave me these postcards of her work.

I also met a fellow polymer clay artist.  His booth was really busy but I did manage to get one of his brochures.

If you love crafts, I would definitely go to the Handmade Korea Fair.  They also had artists from other countries but I was only interested in the Korean artists.  I'm so glad I went!