<Geumbak, the aesthetics of the glitter>
Around the time I came to appreciate how beautiful the word yeomwon (wish or longing) is, I had the privilege of meeting Master Park Soo-young, a gold leaf artisan. In our culture, which values the act of wishing and praying, there is a tradition of designing meaningful patterns, carving them into wood, and then applying gold leaf. This unique tradition of gold leaf has been reinterpreted in a modern way in this exhibition.
For this exhibition, we have prepared two approaches: one is creating works that use traditional gold leaf techniques to make modern functional objects, and the other is projecting the concept of gold leaf onto highly modern, functional items. These works are divided into two categories based on their sparkle—one representing the shimmering of darkness and the other the shimmering of light. Rather than being symbols of authority from the past, I reinterpreted them into a simpler, humbler sparkle suited to this era. If possible, I wanted to create beauty in the fleeting moments of darkness, confronting the aesthetics of the past while discovering the beauty of shimmering light within it.
I hope that the gold leaf used with the sincere intention of making a wish can become something that will be remembered and cherished.
