Upcycling is becoming a big thing within the South Korean art scene in rcent years.<br />It's a new way of creating art work and going green at the same time...as artists produce their works using junk and scraps. <br />Cho Sung-min reports.<br /> <br /> Upcycling is becoming one of the most popular techniques for local artists.<br />It's when you create a work of art by re-using all kinds of thrown-out materials.<br /><br /> A perfect example would be the works of artist Lee Dae-seung.<br />Whether it is a broken clock, a cutting board or plastic trays,... he's used materials that could be easily found in a junk yard, and turned them into canvases depicting flowers and the natural scenery of traditional Korean folk painting.<br /><br />Recently displayed at a gallery in Seoul,... his works symbolize harmony between nature and the industrial goods we use on a daily basis.<br /><br /> "The materials I used are just as they were when first found. I wanted to show my work on canvases with no frames,... so I chose the cutting board and the trays." <br /><br /> Another example is this lighting ornament made out of parts from a broken bicycle.<br />The artist polished the parts and put them together in her own way.<br />Her other works include a bracelet made out of bike chains, and a pencil case made from a rubber tire.<br /><br /> "Bicycles get discarded every day, so there's no shortage of supply. I like how the bikes are structured, and I also like to tear them down piece-by-piece and then put them into different shapes."<br /><br /> Industry experts say upcycling could become more than just an art trend in Korea because it conveys the message that anyone can be an artist,... and it's also a good way of preserving the environment.<br />Cho Sung-min, Arirang News. <br />
