The Korea Craft and Design Foundation (KCDF) announced the launch of its "2026 KCDF Craft and Design Open Call Exhibition" on April 27, selecting 10 emerging artists, 6 mid-career artists, and 3 groups through a professional review. The program opens with a solo exhibition by mid-career artist Seo Junghwa, titled "Ambiguity," featuring metal furniture that blurs boundaries between natural and artificial objects, running from April 29 to May 10 at KCDF Gallery. Additional window gallery shows include Jeon Young Eun's "Showcase of Extinction" (April 15–May 10) and Lee Hyungchan's "Supporting [ ]s" (May 13–June 7). Since 2018, the Foundation has supported 154 exhibitions through this initiative.
This matters because the KCDF Open Call Exhibition is a key platform for nurturing emerging and mid-career talent in Korea's craft and design sectors, integrating creative practice into everyday life. By providing exhibition opportunities and video documentation of artists' processes, the program helps expand the visibility and discourse around Korean craft, supporting new sculptural languages and fostering the next generation of artists in a field often overshadowed by fine arts.