Now in the Open Studio:

Wrap it up!

workshop make your own bottari

Bottaris are garishly colored cloths knotted together and contain personal belongings and clothing of voluntary or forced travelers. In Korea, they have been used for centuries. They are also recognizable objects from the work of visual artist Kimsooja. It looks a bit like the Dutch knapsack, the square piece of cloth you tie to a stick like a pouch full of personal items. But in Korea, they don't use a stick and and the bundles of textiles knotted together are also much larger. Moreover, their symbolic value is of greater importance.

In the workshop, you will make your super-personal little bottari with fabric and paint and gelli-plates. Think of a symbol or pattern that suits you and use a gelli-plate to print it on a piece of cotton so that we immediately know that this is your bottari. Textile markers can also be used to write text on the fabric. Protect your personal item, garment or nest scent by tying fabric around it when you go out into the world.