This photograph shows artist Jeong Ha-yul's Buddhist painting 'First Sermon in the Deer Park,' displayed at Moowoosoo Gallery in Seoul on June 17. AJP Han Jun-gu
Artist Jeong Ha-yul poses for a photograph in front of her Buddhist painting 'Parinirvana,' displayed at Moowoosoo Gallery in Seoul on June 17. AJP Han Jun-gu
SEOUL, June 17 (AJP) - In Eight Views, Eight Senses (팔관팔감, 八觀八感), artist Jeong Ha-yul takes on one of Buddhist art's most revered visual forms, the Palsangdo, or "Eight Scenes from the Life of the Buddha." Traditionally painted in temples, these works trace eight defining moments in Siddhartha Gautama's journey, from birth to enlightenment, and to final nirvana. But for Jeong, the Palsangdo is more than a historical or religious artifact. It's a reflection of the human condition.
"The Palsangdo doesn't just recount the Buddha's life. It reflects our own," Jeong said during an interview at Moowoosoo Gallery in central Seoul on June 17. "It represents the Four Noble Truths: suffering, the cause of suffering, the end of suffering, and the path to that end. These aren't just abstract ideas. They're deeply human experiences we still live through."
The exhibition reimagines each of the eight scenes using a different medium and technique. Gold pigment on black silk, soft silhouettes, layered narrative compositions, even stark ink on bare white cloth. Through these varied approaches, Jeong draws out the emotional nuance and spiritual gravity of each moment.
The exhibition opened to considerable attention, much of it sparked online. "There was a lot of interest even before the exhibition started, especially on Twitter," she said. "So many people came, and I did my best to explain the meaning behind each piece to everyone who visited. I am not sure whether I successfully explained everything, but I was really happy whenever someone walked out smiling."
Some works took months to complete, others more than a year. "Subjugation of Demons took about a year and three months," she said. "The next most time-consuming piece took around seven months." Despite the weight of the subject, the demon scene gave her a rare opportunity to play. "You can't really change the way the Buddha or the monks look. That's fairly fixed. But the demons? That's where I had fun," she said. "I hid in movie villains like the Joker, added demons weraing traditional Korean masks like Hahoetal and Gaksital, and scattered little references from pop culture all over the canvas."
〈Huming Bodhisattva〉
This photograph shows artist Jeong Ha-yul's Buddhist painting 'Huming Bodhisattva,' displayed at Moowoosoo Gallery in Seoul on June 17. AJP Han Jun-gu
This photograph shows artist Jeong Ha-yul's Buddhist painting 'Huming Bodhisattva,' displayed at Moowoosoo Gallery in Seoul on June 17. AJP Han Jun-gu
아주경제 l 박세진, 한준구 기자 swatchsjp@ajunews.com
기사 원문보기
This photograph shows artist Jeong Ha-yul's Buddhist painting 'First Sermon in the Deer Park,' displayed at Moowoosoo Gallery in Seoul on June 17. AJP Han Jun-gu
Artist Jeong Ha-yul poses for a photograph in front of her Buddhist painting 'Parinirvana,' displayed at Moowoosoo Gallery in Seoul on June 17. AJP Han Jun-gu
SEOUL, June 17 (AJP) - In Eight Views, Eight Senses (팔관팔감, 八觀八感), artist Jeong Ha-yul takes on one of Buddhist art's most revered visual forms, the Palsangdo, or "Eight Scenes from the Life of the Buddha." Traditionally painted in temples, these works trace eight defining moments in Siddhartha Gautama's journey, from birth to enlightenment, and to final nirvana. But for Jeong, the Palsangdo is more than a historical or religious artifact. It's a reflection of the human condition.
"The Palsangdo doesn't just recount the Buddha's life. It reflects our own," Jeong said during an interview at Moowoosoo Gallery in central Seoul on June 17. "It represents the Four Noble Truths: suffering, the cause of suffering, the end of suffering, and the path to that end. These aren't just abstract ideas. They're deeply human experiences we still live through."
The exhibition reimagines each of the eight scenes using a different medium and technique. Gold pigment on black silk, soft silhouettes, layered narrative compositions, even stark ink on bare white cloth. Through these varied approaches, Jeong draws out the emotional nuance and spiritual gravity of each moment.
The exhibition opened to considerable attention, much of it sparked online. "There was a lot of interest even before the exhibition started, especially on Twitter," she said. "So many people came, and I did my best to explain the meaning behind each piece to everyone who visited. I am not sure whether I successfully explained everything, but I was really happy whenever someone walked out smiling."
Some works took months to complete, others more than a year. "Subjugation of Demons took about a year and three months," she said. "The next most time-consuming piece took around seven months." Despite the weight of the subject, the demon scene gave her a rare opportunity to play. "You can't really change the way the Buddha or the monks look. That's fairly fixed. But the demons? That's where I had fun," she said. "I hid in movie villains like the Joker, added demons weraing traditional Korean masks like Hahoetal and Gaksital, and scattered little references from pop culture all over the canvas."
〈Huming Bodhisattva〉
This photograph shows artist Jeong Ha-yul's Buddhist painting 'Huming Bodhisattva,' displayed at Moowoosoo Gallery in Seoul on June 17. AJP Han Jun-gu
This photograph shows artist Jeong Ha-yul's Buddhist painting 'Huming Bodhisattva,' displayed at Moowoosoo Gallery in Seoul on June 17. AJP Han Jun-gu
아주경제 l 박세진, 한준구 기자 swatchsjp@ajunews.com
기사 원문보기