A mother in South Korea means special like many other parts of the world. She is heart aching and strong, probably the strongest in the world. Monthly PowerKorea writes an article themed on ＆a true mother image in our time starting with a literati painter Sookja Ji known as Cecilia. 

Challenging and enterprising spirit

Cecilia worked as a teacher for 43 years and retired as principal of an elementary school in Cheongju. During the teaching career, she organized Japanese, Chinese and English courses alongside art classes field activities. She has upright spirit and personality and she values highest of her family. Her eldest son studied at Seoul National University and KAIST and is now working at an American cloud applications and platforms company Oracle as a computer programer. Her eldest grandson is studying at San Diego State University. Haemin studied at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and is studying at Pennsylvania Graduate School of Medicine on scholarship. Her younger son Chunyong is a paralegal. Despite her over 80 years of age, she is passionate about art. At the age 77, she demonstrated her skill of drawing orchid at the 4th World Senior Queens and won the Shin Saimdang prize. Even while taking care of her husband suffering from various illnesses for 20 years, she never put down her brush. It is not exaggerating to say that her sincere and unsparing care miraculously saved him. 

Unprecedented semi abstract Korean painting

A strong presence in art world as a literati painter

As versatile as she is, Cecilia won a prize with her writing followed by releasing an autobiography essay Serenade of My Heart and another essay A Thousand Year Sound of Brush set to release May this year. The latest essay will contain her insight into literati painting and semi abstract Korean paintings. “The wrote my truthful feeling and thoughts about my career as an artist as well as methods and coloring.” says Cecilia. She is received as a pioneer of contemporary literati painting in terms of the way it delivers the methods of expression. “I hope Korean semi abstract painting is recognized globally since it has uniqueness in one stroke brush works and vigorous energy similar to aurora or nebula. I will use more colors and expand to installation and media art in a long term perspective.” 

Spreading literati painting to professional and ordinary alike

Cecilia is worried about high tech-driven education and society because it is missing ethics, philosophy and laws. “Drawing a picture with a brush I think is a good way to practice theses missing elements. While you are brushing, you can surely experience oneness of your thoughts, actions and wills. So I highly recommend you to practice six styles of traditional brushwork.”

She adds “An eagle owl kills a thousand chickens because of the fear so they kill each other accidently while trying to survive in pandemonium. On the contrary, honey bees stick together to fight against a single hornet. In other words, we need learn from these bees as individuals and as the people of South Korea.”

A wise wife and a benevolent mother

Korea Youth Arts Association president Budam Jang says about Cecilia “She is an educator, literati painter and writer who is passing down the spirit and philosophy of Shin Saimdang.” Publisher of PowerKorea Jongwon Baek says about her “Korean literati painting is an important cultural asset to preserve and to pass down. And Cecilia is playing an important role to do that.” Also as a wise wife and a benevolent mother, Cecilia is a good example of a virtuous and talented woman.