🖤let's get out of that pastel palette for a while🖤
Written Evidence: I question the cultural identity of Korea: Did globalization dissolve Korea's identity, or did it increase its value? With such questions, I experimented with traditional materials: wood, ink, printing block, combining them with modern technology that allows layering different backgrounds and textures to explore the merge of traditional and contemporary practices. Image 1, a painting of a traditional percussionist, and revision notes (image 2) study changes from tradition to pop in Korean music and performance, costume, dance, affecting/dominating the overall culture. I explored the fading of storytelling culture; We used to learn from fables that taught us morals and dreams, but no one tells the old tales today. Images 3 and 4, sketchbook notes (image 5) document the "Cherry Blossom Spring" fable, and its disappearance from the stage. Image 6-7 focus on the environmental destruction of Han-River. Image 9 of two women explores themes of maternal love, and cross generational understanding, crossing cultural barriers, increasing Korea's cultural value. The women are a self portrait and a portrait of my mother (older), speculating myself at a different age and time.
Music
🇰🇷Beat of Our People 🇰🇷
Korea's traditional percussion is being forgotten as K-pop now dominates the Korean music culture.
Dripping black and white paint shows the sadness of the withering tradition.
I zoomed into the face of percussionist with strong eyes and headpiece, to engage with the audience.
Dripping black and white paint shows the sadness of the withering tradition.
I zoomed into the face of percussionist with strong eyes and headpiece, to engage with the audience.
Process
Several sketches of the percussionist and observation in their costumes are done.
Brush pens, gel pens, and pencils are used to find an appropriate texture of the final piece.
I first considered to paint the full image of a percussionist but decided to emphasize one spot.
Brush pens, gel pens, and pencils are used to find an appropriate texture of the final piece.
I first considered to paint the full image of a percussionist but decided to emphasize one spot.
Folk Tale
🍑 🌸 rest in peache 🌸 🍑
Memento Mori
2 Corinthians 4:16~18
Memento Mori
2 Corinthians 4:16~18
Piece 1 (The Peach Blossom Spring):
Fables are what planted the hope in the hearts of our nation. Where is it now? Is it gone, or not yet?
The block print with black ink allows printing several times to let everyone to listen to the fable.
There is a storyteller in the middle that is balancing the harmony of the real-world and fables.
Piece 2 (The Withering Spring):
Is there no way that we can hear the fables again from our grandparents? Will it come back?
The black paper shows the despair of the loss of our stories and hopes for Utopia.
The girl is removed from the original print to show the storyteller no longer exists today.
Fables are what planted the hope in the hearts of our nation. Where is it now? Is it gone, or not yet?
The block print with black ink allows printing several times to let everyone to listen to the fable.
There is a storyteller in the middle that is balancing the harmony of the real-world and fables.
Piece 2 (The Withering Spring):
Is there no way that we can hear the fables again from our grandparents? Will it come back?
The black paper shows the despair of the loss of our stories and hopes for Utopia.
The girl is removed from the original print to show the storyteller no longer exists today.
Process
Process:
Chinese fable of Utopia was later translated into Korean, which impacted the Korean story culture.
X-acto knife is used for carving fine lines and expressing soft shadows on the girl's body and face.
It took 8 printing trials until I got the perfect print. 2 out of 8 prints were successful.
Chinese fable of Utopia was later translated into Korean, which impacted the Korean story culture.
X-acto knife is used for carving fine lines and expressing soft shadows on the girl's body and face.
It took 8 printing trials until I got the perfect print. 2 out of 8 prints were successful.
Environment
🏙 now and then 🏞
Piece 1 (Present):
What is that we value more today? The nature that our ancestors left or the development of the country?
Gold rectangles falling apart represents the city that is fading due to the modern-day pollution.
Marks of gold leaf went from developing to disrupting, reflecting the changing
Piece 2 (Past):
What was the value of the river that our ancestors cared about? Did they value it as much as gold?
Gold leaf river that flows in the center shows the important balance that nature gives in our world.
The rough mark using ink shows that trees were standing in the past instead of tall buildings.
What is that we value more today? The nature that our ancestors left or the development of the country?
Gold rectangles falling apart represents the city that is fading due to the modern-day pollution.
Marks of gold leaf went from developing to disrupting, reflecting the changing
Piece 2 (Past):
What was the value of the river that our ancestors cared about? Did they value it as much as gold?
Gold leaf river that flows in the center shows the important balance that nature gives in our world.
The rough mark using ink shows that trees were standing in the past instead of tall buildings.
Process
How can I express the same location differently in two pieces but with harmony?
One big wooden board is cut in two to show two stories in two different time periods in one country.
Traditional Asian painting brush allows expressing the texture of traditional landscape painting.
One big wooden board is cut in two to show two stories in two different time periods in one country.
Traditional Asian painting brush allows expressing the texture of traditional landscape painting.
Mother
✨For the most beautiful woman I know ✨
Wrap-up Piece:
What is one value that remains that can be communicated outside of Korea?
Combined traditional paper and digital drawing to show the unchanging love of mother over time.
The women are a self portrait of my mother (older), speculating myself at a different age.
What is one value that remains that can be communicated outside of Korea?
Combined traditional paper and digital drawing to show the unchanging love of mother over time.
The women are a self portrait of my mother (older), speculating myself at a different age.
Process
Process:
Studied objects that relate to Korean women in the past and combined that element with modern tech.
Mid process sketch, 1st revision was about women rights but adding personal story changed the result.
Studied objects that relate to Korean women in the past and combined that element with modern tech.
Mid process sketch, 1st revision was about women rights but adding personal story changed the result.