Issue 00 · Before we met anyone

Records of people
who work with
their hands in Korea.

About the project First record · soon

What this is

Some of these hands have worked for sixty years. Some started last spring. We record both — before one is gone, and while the other is still learning.

The test

Does Korea show?

A trade that exists elsewhere still counts — if the Korean way, place or habit is visible. Any age. Hands and process on camera; the person's story if there is one.

Four kinds of hands

The four trigrams of the Korean flag

건 Geon · HeavenPaper · ThreadHanji, embroidery, knots

곤 Gon · EarthClay · WoodOnggi, pottery, carpentry, combs

감 Gam · WaterBlade · HairBronze, knives, scissors, barbers

리 Ri · FireFire · DrinkKilns, soju, dancheong, ink

Five questions · always the same

What do you make?
Since when, and why?
What's Korean about this?
What's left on your hands?
One word for whoever comes next.

No. 001

The first record is coming.

A sculptor in Suwon who makes his own carving knives. Until then, black and white only — colour is for the people we've met.