On July 20, the Cheongju Craft Biennale Organizing Committee announced the appointment of curator Kim Ye-sung as the Artistic Director of the 2027 Cheongju Craft Biennale, which will mark the event’s 15th edition.
 
Selected following a proposal presentation and review process from among three candidates recommended by a 21-member executive committee, Artistic Director Kim Ye-sung (b. 1978) holds degrees in Ceramic Art and Art History from Ewha Womans University, the University of the Arts London (UAL), and the Royal College of Art (RCA).
 
She earned her Ph.D. in Plastic Arts from Ewha Womans University, specializing in ceramic theory and exhibition planning. She has served as a curator for the Korea Ceramic Foundation, Bonte Museum, Korea Craft & Design Foundation (KCDF), and the 2025 Stockholm Craft Week Korean delegation, among others.
 
She is widely recognized as a seasoned "rising curator" with extensive experience in the domestic and international craft sectors, notably curating the 2026 KCDF traveling craft exhibition, 《Shared Assets》.

Director Kim, who first collaborated with the Biennale as a lead curator in 2023, has been appointed as the youngest Artistic Director in the history of the event. She has declared the theme for the 15th Cheongju Craft Biennale to be "Back to Human."
 
In the era of Artificial Intelligence, where AI has permeated human life and the realm of art, and in a time of rapid upheaval marked by war and the climate crisis, this theme embodies a cultural practice aimed at reflecting on how we engage with the world. Through "craft"—which is fundamentally connected to human spirit, senses, and emotions—it seeks to redefine our relationships and attitudes.
 
"It is an honor to join the Cheongju Craft Biennale, which serves as both an essential platform for surveying contemporary craft trends globally and a vehicle for sharing the cultural identity of Cheongju, a city of craft, with the world," said Director Kim upon her appointment.
 
She added, "The theme 'Back to Human' does not mean returning to the past; it is a declaration by the Cheongju Craft Biennale to reconsider the essence of humanity in an age centered on technology and efficiency. I intend to demonstrate how we can confront the world and each other with new attitudes, and how craft can reawaken the senses and connections in our daily lives."

As the event approaches its 30th anniversary, the appointment of the youngest-ever director signals a new leap forward and transformation. Expectations are especially high as this will be the first Biennale since Cheongju was designated a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts.
 
Accordingly, the Organizing Committee plans to solidify Cheongju's international standing as a city of craft by expanding the existing international academic symposium into a multidisciplinary academic event and international workshop that bridges diverse fields such as humanities, architecture, design, and science.
 
The committee also announced that Poland has been selected as the guest country. In cooperation with the Adam Mickiewicz Institute (IAM), an international cultural exchange organization under the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, this partnership is unique; unlike previous editions where guest countries operated with independent themes and curations, this edition will share the Biennale’s overarching theme, further proving Cheongju’s status as a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts.
 
The 2027 Cheongju Craft Biennale is scheduled to be held for 60 days, from September 2 to October 31, 2027, at the Cultural Manufacturing Plant area.

References

• 청주공예비엔날레조직위원회 보도자료 (Cheongju Craft Biennale Organizing Committee Press Release)