[Editor's note] Job-hopping is common today. According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics (MODS), from 2018 to 2023 only 4 out of 10 people stayed at the same workplace. In particular, Millennials and Gen Z (born in the 1980s–2000s) prioritize growth potential and personal values over stability and are less hesitant to change jobs. In this era, some young people have chosen to dig one well rather than move. These are stories of "craftspeople" who chose depth over speed and skill over trend.
The Jeong Gwan-chae transmission training center at the dyeing workshop in Naju, South Jeolla. Benjamin Cammarata, 23, dipped a white cloth deep into an indigo vat stored in a jar, then pulled it out. After wringing out the water and hanging the cloth, it soon absorbed a full sky-blue hue as it danced in the gentle breeze.
Cammarata grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, and graduated from Harvard University with a degree in biology. Instead of choosing a job in a big city, he headed to Korea in June last year right after graduation. It was to learn indigo dyeing. Fond of indigo, he was drawn to traditional fiber crafts, and the more he learned, the more he felt attached, eventually becoming an apprentice.
His mother, a Korean American, had a big influence. For Cammarata, who said "by doing traditional work, you can commune with your ancestors," indigo dyeing was not just a skill but a process of understanding the lives of a previous generation with his body.
He is currently on a Fulbright scholarship documenting the traditional indigo dyeing process in the Naju area. His goal is to compile not only the dyeing process but also the region's history, ecology, and the craftsperson's working environment into an English guide with photos and text. He wants to spread indigo dyeing widely to the English-speaking world and beyond. The following is a Q&A with Cammarata.
— What sparked your interest in Korea's indigo dyeing?
"While studying biology, I once did a project related to traditional textiles. That's when I first realized the beauty of traditional fiber art that creates something with your hands. Later, as I researched traditional textiles from different countries, I learned about Korea's indigo dyeing."
— It seems a bit far from your major in biology.
"Dyeing ultimately involves understanding plants, fermentation, and the environment. I didn't feel it was a completely different field, given how important bacteria and natural conditions are.
Most of my friends went to big cities like New York and got jobs others would envy, like at big tech companies. But life is long. You can make money later, but this indigo-dyeing technique could disappear if I don't learn it now. I just chose what's more important."
Indigo dyeing is largely divided into the process of extracting pigment from indigo leaves and the process of applying color to fiber. Waiting is essential for both. That's because fermentation is the key.
When leaves and stems are put into a jar and soaked in water to steep, an aquamarine indigo liquid appears after about a week. If you add crushed shell powder and stir, it changes to white, blue, and purplish hues. Leave it for about a day and a sediment called "indigo paste (ninam)" forms. Then you have to pour in lye again and stir, repeating this work for nearly two months to finally complete the blue indigo liquid we imagine.
The dyeing process is the same. You repeat dipping the cloth into the indigo, kneading it, and hanging it until you get the desired color. The color shifts from green to teal, then to blue, and finally to indigo."
— How does Korea's indigo dyeing differ from that of other countries?
"Fermentation. The process itself is different from Japanese or Indian indigo dyeing, which fixes the color right away. Korea's fermentation culture is quite unique. We use onggi jars and maintain bacteria even in winter by using ondol floor heating. The color changes depending on how much it ferments. Indigo dyeing contains a person's time and life. I think it's a humanities of its own and its charm."
— Doesn't it get boring because it takes so long?
"On the contrary, it calms me. I feel like my feet are planted on my ancestors' land, and there's a sense of being connected to a previous generation. It's rare to work while feeling these emotions."
— You also make jogakbo or bojagi pieces.
"It amazed me. I was impressed that such an old fiber art can look very modern depending on color and composition. The fact that these are anonymous works by unknown makers also resembles American quilt culture."
— You came to Korea as a Fulbright scholar.
"I approached the Fulbright Foundation to secure funding to learn indigo dyeing in Korea. The foundation wondered, 'Why do you want to learn this in rural Korea?' Usually, people conduct research at universities or hospitals. Then the foundation said it would support me if I brought back an A grade. Fortunately, I met the grade requirement and received an open study/research grant under the foundation's Korean-American Educational Commission program, which allowed me to come to Korea."
How is life in Naju?
"What foreigners imagine about Korea is usually big cities and K-pop. But that's only part of Korea. The Korea my mother told me about was closer to the countryside and rich in nature. Naju is peaceful, with mountains and water nearby. It's the closest place to the Korea I imagined."
— What are your goals as an apprentice at the dyeing workshop?
"I'm documenting the region's history and ecology, and the dyeing workflow with photos and text in Naju. My goal is to create an English guide to indigo dyeing. There are hardly any resources for foreigners to access Korea's indigo dyeing. It's regrettable that this technique is gradually disappearing."
He also has a goal of someday teaching or introducing indigo dyeing in the United States. He plans to continue his research while also growing indigo himself."
— Why do you want to carry on tradition?
"It seems that not only in the United States but also in Korea, there isn't much interest in traditional crafts. That's why I felt even more strongly that someone has to document, learn, and pass them on. If no one does it, this beautiful indigo hue will disappear someday."