As the artisan’s hand firmly grips the indu, which dances over the surface of the bamboo, deer begin to run and vines bear gorgeous grapes in subtly rising fogs. A beautiful landscape is created on a piece of bamboo, much like an ink painting drawn by a master painter. Nakjuk, which literally means, “burning on bamboo,” is a traditional Korean pyrography art in which an artist produces a calligraphic work or a drawing on the surface of a piece of bamboo with a red-hot burning instrument, called an indu. The pyrography art is used to decorate a plethora of household objects, including combs, spools, fans, brushes, brush holders, folding screens and furniture. Records show that the art was developed by a late Joseon Dynasty artisan named Park Chang-gyu, who came across, and learned, advanced nakjuk techniques in Beijing, China, when he visited the city in 1822. When he returned to Korea, he began to develop his own techniques and eventually produced outstanding nakjuk works. The aesthetic merit of his pieces was so great that Chinese envoys visiting the Joseon Kingdom were fascinated by it, and spread word of his name all across China where they gave him the nickname, Hwahwa Doin - “Master of Flame Art.” Park’s art and his incredible talent were passed down to the younger generations of his family, who continued to produce great nakjuk artists and works. One of the pieces, a long smoking pipe decorated with a coiled dragon design, was offered to the king as a tribute. The king praised the pipe, saying that the dragon seemed to contract its scales whenever he breathed in smoke and expand them when he blew it out. This episode clearly exemplifies the high level the nakjuk artists of the Park Chang-gyu family attained in terms of techniques and artistic merit of pyrography. A 10-panel Folding Screen with Nakjuk (Bamboo Pyrography) Drawings of Birds and Plants Joseon Dynasty, 19th century Park Ju-dam A work by Park Ju-dam, a descendant of the nakjuk master Park Chang-gyu, this 10-panel folding screen contains nakjuk drawings of maehwa, orchids, banana trees, willows, grapes, bamboo and pine trees with birds. All drawings are made in the style of traditional folk art and a poem of a related theme is written in a calligraphic style at the top of each panel. Realistic touches on details and shading of these drawings create a unique atmosphere different from ordinary ink painting. Since its glory days during the Joseon period, nakjuk art has created many great artists, helping to establish itself as an important part of the traditional Korean handicraft used to decorate a variety of objects for daily use. Nakjukjang (‘Master Artist of Nakjuk Art’) Kim Gi-chan liked creating items such as tops, sleds and kites, even when he was very young, and displayed remarkable skills. Yet it was in his early twenties when he was an enthusiastic art student that he was introduced to the art of nakjuk. At that time he was staying in Songgwangsa Temple, one of the three most important Buddhist temples in Korea, where he immersed himself in its scenic natural surroundings. Here he met a woman who would become his lifelong companion and married her. His quest for art continued and he eventually studied in an art studio in the city of Gwangju, an experience that led him on the path of finding his future career. In 1982, Park Yong-gi, a master craftsman of decorative hand-knife making who happened to be a friend of the owner of the art studio where he studied art, introduced him to Yi Dong-ryeon, the first Master nakjuk artist. Actually, it was Park Yong-gi himself who originally wanted to learn nakjuk skills from Yi to use them to decorate the grips and sheathes of his bamboo hand-knives. But finding that Kim, a capable art student, would perform better than himself, he encouraged Kim to learn the art in the hopes that the youngster would later create magnificent decorations for his knives. Kim started to learn nakjuk, although he had to make the long trip between Damyang where Yi’s workshop was located and Songgwangsa where he lived. To be a competent nakjuk artist, one needs to draw figures or write letters on a bamboo surface with a hot indu before it cools down, ideally sitting cross-legged with the upper body upright. Because he wasn’t used to such a posture, he had to stand up quite often during his training to relieve the physical pain caused by the uncomfortable position, resulting in harsh scoldings from his tutor. The experience of his nakjuk education was bitter and severe, yet he was able to make progress day after day in the newly adopted art. His original plan was to learn the art for five years under the master artist, but sadly his plans changed when the senior artist died suddenly three years after Kim began his apprenticeship. The sadness of losing the master and his mentor became an obstacle on the road to learning the art. Now Kim had no choice but to teach himself for the remaining two years. View the master's works