▲ Seogak Artist Gwonsoon Park

[Seogak]

Seogak, wood carving, is a genre of art that the artist carves letters or images or both on a wooden panel. It is limited in expressive methods but some say that is what makes this art unique when compared to other genres. Seogak has been practiced and loved by people for a long time and it arouses a time-loaded atmosphere as it is in the category of traditional arts in South Korea. 

 

[Gwonsoon Park]

Seokgak artist Gwonsoon Park was born in Cheongju City. He grew up watching his farther drawing folk painting as a hobby which influenced him during the course of his career paths. 

 

“My dad drew tigers and flowers a lot and often. Although he was not a professional, people around him wanted to have one of his works. So he gave them as a gift since he didn’t have intention to sell his works. Regretfully, I can’t find a single work of him now. However, I grew up watching it and it has a strong connection to what I’m doing as a seogak artist and my youngest brother who is a western painting artist” looks back Park.

 

Park worked in the construction industry for a long time. During the early 2000, he grew his interest in collecting art works as well as engaging himself in seogak. When his business went down around that time, he wrapped it up and started learning calligraphy. As is often the case among seogak artists, he shifted his interest from calligraphy to seogak with encouragement of his circles around. 

 

“Difference though was that I didn’t particularly learn the art from someone but I dug the art myself by researching on/off line materials and lessons while visiting exhibitions of famous artists in the genre. Still I thought it was my hobby but the hobby grew serious as time went by. The more I learn the more I was drawn into the art. So I eventually took it like it was my destiny and voila here I am today.”

 

According to Park, seogak is an art that people can keep the work for a long time for hundreds of years if kept well. For this reason, many great calligraphy works still remain on wood panels. 

 

“In the same respect, it is very important to give an attention to detail finish whenever the artist engages in a work. Good works are often recognized not only from connoisseurs but also ordinary people on which the artist gains a great sense of pride and worthiness. I once was asked to hold an exhibition by the Cheongju Cultural Foundation and an exhibition held in China. The 4 meter big seogak I worked on was physically demanding but it made me feel proud.”

 

Park has created many traditional signboards including Park Je Sang Shrine, Hall of Yangsung Lee Clan, and Song Jeong Kwan Gallery in Samcheok City. He shifted famous calligraphy styles of Jeonghui Kim while having collected around one thousand works of famous artists including Seokbong Han, Kang Lee, Unho Kim, Sunam Song, Daesung Park, Saenkwang Park, Baekryeon Heo, Sugeun Park, Jungseob Lee, Byeonjong Ha, Seungwoo Oh, Suok Lee, Changryeon Gwon and Munhee Do. His obsession with collecting art works come from his regret that not a single work of his father’s is found today and he wants to keep and pass down valuable art works to offspring. 

 

“Back 2000, there was not a single art gallery in Cheongju as far as I knew. So I bought three disused green houses and I’m now using one for storage, another for studio and another for exhibition hall. They look like greenhouses but the roofs are covered with specially designed films that cut off the sunlight while help circulate air.”

 

Park encourages people in his age that seogak can be a professional art genre but at the same time a good hobby to spend time with. As South Korea is marching into an aging society, he says, seogak can make their everyday life meaningful and can provide a reason to carry on. Park is serving as Deputy Director of the Cheongju Cultural Center. <PowerKorea>

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