The Blue and Red Danggari Kite (청홍외당가리연)

Master Bae Moosam's kite is a jiyeon, the traditional Korean form built rectangular with a central hole that lets the wind pass through, generating the vortex that gives the kite its pulling force. It is made from hanji paper produced in Andong, stretched over a bamboo frame harvested at around three months for its ideal flexibility and strength, and flown on a silk line from Daegu coated in powdered ceramic for durability. This particular kite recreates Admiral Yi Sun-sin's Tactical Signal Kites, believed to have been used for military communication during the Imjin War of 1592 to 1598. Bae has made kites since 1973 and holds Intangible Cultural Heritage status in jiyeonjang, the traditional Korean art of kite making, in Busan, South Korea. It enters the Powerhouse Collection through Task Eternal, an exhibition tracing humanity's desire to take flight from its earliest imaginings to contemporary space exploration.

“I have never been to Australia, but it is my dream to see my kites flying in the Australian sky.” – Master Bae Moosam