BLACKSMITHS

Without blacksmiths, culture, and civilization would not exist as we know them. Iron has contributed significantly to the development of mankind. This iron culture has supported a base for history, civilization, and society. Since the Industrial Revolution, various industries optimized by becoming more and more automated. And many of the conventional jobs over time have continued to decrease. Especially with the evolution of Artificial Intelligence. And so the number of blacksmiths, one of the most important roles that supported the culture of iron, has decreased year by year. I have visited over 220 locations and met more than 300 blacksmiths in 20 countries since starting in 2012. And throughout my travels, I have found differences and similarities between each one. Their discrepancies and similarities were due to region, generation, and social type. Therefore, this project focuses on how cultures and occupations survive through blacksmiths in society. As with other professions, there are various blacksmith types; some continue to adhere to the original traditions while others have begun adopting new technologies and techniques, adapting to the times. And there are those that work within the entertainment industries. Forging technology that blacksmiths use used to be top-notch technology, and now some of the forging techs are still used for hi-techs. But behind the technologies, there are people with thoughts and souls. I am glad to see social changes through technical evolution. However, losing beautiful things based on tradition makes the future dreary. With this project, I wish to show how blacksmiths have survived and continue to do so.