A peek inside a Buddhist sculpture studio
Over the past few years, I’ve attended an array of lantern parades and festivals throughout Asia, filled with skillfully-crafted floats and lanterns. I snapped the photo above at the Buddha’s birthday lantern parade in 2009, and ever since, I’ve been curious as to how these massive, fragile works of art are created. Surprisingly, I happened...
Anish Kapoor at the Leeum Samsung
Prior to last weekend, I didn’t know much about Anish Kapoor, an Indian artist residing in England, but after hearing many positive reviews, I visited the Leeum/Samsung Museum of Art to see his solo exhibition. I’ve been anxious to return to this particular museum ever since I viewed Do Ho Suh’s impressive solo, “Home Within...
Ice Fishing in Hwacheon: embracing Korea’s sub-zero temperatures
The stressful holidays have passed, and now it’s January and time to relax. In Korea, we are currently living in frigid, sub-zero temperatures. Everyday I bundle up in my thick winter coat and Uggs, which I refused to wear in the past because they are so hideous-looking, but now I wear them with pride. Sometimes...
Loveland: Jeju Island’s erotic sculpture park
We entered the park and and walked along a path laden with penis-shaped arrows, passing giant penis and vagina mosaics and sculptures of couples engaging in wild sex. We crossed paths with groups of ajosshi and ajumma (middle-aged Korean men and women) and heard a chorus of giggles. They must have been drunk. Or embarrassed. Or both. In...
By day: street art and steel factories in Mullae
A few weeks ago, I visited Mullae, “the art village of Seoul,” located on the Western side of the city in Youngdeungpo-gu. I shot some photos of the neighborhood at night, documenting the small metal and steel factories, narrow alleyways and street art illuminated by the dim glow of street lights. As I mentioned in...
Life on an island: Long Island, Maine
My aunt bought a cottage on Long island, Maine in 1987, the same year I was born. Every summer, I’ve spent at least one weekend on this quaint island, a mere 1.4 square miles in land area, located in Casco Bay. Like any island, time tends to stand still here. I’ve continually felt a sense...
Finding the Beautiful and Bizarre on Nami Island
Last Monday I had the day off from work for an extended Children’s Day celebration. I’ve been wanting to go to Nami Island (남이섬) for awhile, since my ajumma friend at work constantly raves about how beautiful it is. A friend asked me if I wanted to go with her and I gladly accepted. Nami Island...
Do Ho Suh: a Korean artist encourages viewers to analyze the concept of home
I recently viewed the Korean artist Do Ho Suh’s (서도호) solo exhibition, Home Within Home, at the Leeum/Samsung Museum in Seoul. I can honestly say this is one of the greatest contemporary art exhibitions I’ve ever seen. (I even walked through the entire exhibition twice.) His work is innovative, concrete, and elegant. Also, the viewer can...
Heyri Art Valley: get inspired by Korea’s hidden art village
HEYRI ART VALLEY was named after “the song of Heyri,” a traditional farming song from Paju province in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Since the days of singing after laboring in the fields, Heyri has evolved into an international village for artistic types to sing in their studios as they labor on their own creative projects. Due...
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