Pojagi (or bojagi or jogakbo) is a method of Korean patchwork, using flat felled seams that are fully enclosed on front and back, similar to a French seam used in garment sewing. Equally used and valued by Korean peasants, working classes, and royalty, these multipurpose textiles combined functionality, aesthetic, and craftsmanship. They served a variety of functions including wrapping gifts, covering cooked food from insects and rodents, and wall art. Bojagi were usually made of a large square-shaped fabric in cotton, ramie, hemp, and silk. Since the 1990s, there has been a strong pojagi revival in Korea, within the diaspora, and beyond.
I found the technique of pojagi to be a perfect vehicle to interpret the canvas wings of Curtiss Pusher airplanes. The seams are evident when backlit, and echo the wooden structure supporting the canvas.
Pojagi I
32 x 60
Cotton Muslin, cotton thread, wooden dowels
machine sewn
Pojagi II
32 x 69
Cotton Muslin, cotton thread, wooden dowels
machine sewn
I sewed narrow sleeves in each end of the pojagi pieces. I used a plain wooden dowel through the pockets at each end for hanging. They are suspended from the gallery ceiling using clear fishing line. The gallery lights shine through them beautifully.
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