The Pacific Northwest Quilt & Fiber Arts Museum is pleased to present Patti King's curated exhibition, Bojagi Journey 2023. The bojagi “Journey” that the title of this exhibit refers to, began over 30 years ago with the visionary artist, teacher and advocate Chunghie Lee, whose teaching, writing and lecturing took bojagi out of Korea for the first time and introduced the unique folk tradition throughout the world. Prior to this 30-year period, and dating back 600 years, bojagi were made exclusively by Korean women and a mundane presence in domestic Korean life. In fact, bojagi was only recognized as a unique and profound art form by Korean society in the early 1900s.

In Bojagi Journey 2023 the artworks of over 40 artists cover the spectrum from highly traditional to conceptual. That is, contemporary bojagi artists are no longer motivated by need and function, traditional bojagi’s backbone. This shift is similar to the evolving mindset of quilters, prioritizing concept over traditional form and function.