“All of the blue dyes used in the Joseon period were made from indigofera, which was used to make diverse blue hues. Naju, which is home to indigofera, has two skilled craftsman who can make dyes and who have been designated as intangible cultural heritage. One of them is Jeong Gwan-chae.

Indigo is the most difficult color to produce using natural dye. This is why dyes made from indigofera was highly expensive and rare. Wearing clothes dyed using the natural color extracted from the leaves of indigofera is said to relieve the symptoms of atopic dermatitis and allergies. Jeong Gwan-chae has revived the tradition of indigo dyes in Korea, and his works present various blue hues ranging from a light jade color to deep developed colors. He learned how to make dyes from indigofera from his mother in 1978, and he is continuing on this tradition, while working as an art teacher at Yeongsanpo Middle School. According to the Intangible Cultural Heritage Designation Report issued in 2000, Jeong Gwan-chae employs the traditional techniques, and also has the skills to mass supply the natural dyes.”