Silversmith William Lee wins Craft Prize 2023

Silversmith William Lee is the winner of this year's Craft Prize, an annual craft award given by the Culture Ministry and the Korea Craft and Design Foundation.

Lee, based in Seoul, studied silversmithing and metalwork at Camberwell College of Arts, part of the University of London.

He re-creates a form of traditional Korean ceramics with silver that features delicate flowing lines and subtle marks that appear to be melted on the surface.

Lee's silver objects -- such as vessels and jars -- are created exclusively by hand hammering, a basic technique that has been central to his artistic practice. Lee’s creations include a 50-centimeter-tall silver moon jar created out of a silver panel that weighs 11 kilograms, made by hammering only.