Meditation is but a focus on calmness in a picture

Soonim Bake’s meditative paintings bring warmth and peace

There is no art form more static than drawing. The process of transferring the artist’s mind to the canvas is serene and secretive. If the viewer concentrates on the stillness of the painting, it soon becomes a meditation and can heal the ailing mind. Artist Soonim Baek’s meditative paintings make you feel meditative just by looking at them. Her artwork brings out the peace and light within and heals the ills the ailing mind. “If you pay attention to the stillness of a picture, you can feel of your mediation deepen. Just a gaze can do this and I call such paintings of mind meditative.” says Baek.

Meditation for peace, bright and vigorous energy for ailing mind

Meditative paintings warm up the surroundings of the viewers

Some call her works meditative paintings and some energy paintings. This is because the viewers can gain a peace of mind and bright and vigorous energy from her works. An appreciator meditated in Jirisan mountain for tens of years but have more positive energy by staying in her exhibition for just 30 minutes. And many visitors overseas also give testimony that they felt a heartbeat when appreciating her works. In oriental painting, artists imbue their thoughts and world view on the canvas that are expressed as spatial energy and change the surrounding environment.

In the same respect, stepping into her studio in Samgakgi, Seoul, you might feel calmness of your mind. “I quitely deliver images in the head onto canvas. The reason I do meditative paintings is because they bring peace and meditative energy to the viewers. A mountain has a legend because there lives a man like a cloud in the sky. Likewise, my works pursue that mountain with transparent spirit.” says Baek.

▲ Meditation artist, BAEK, SOON IM

Continuous change in form with pure spirit

Her Seongsanpo series contains peaceful and beautiful meditative spirit. The mandala in dew contains full of positive energy. The mountain embracing the sun untangles providence of nature. And the pond at night and the pouring light deliver energy. Gwangmeong Seondo Meditation head Taejeong Baek says “Her works change in form continuously like a bird soaring and awakens meditative energy within the mind of the viewers as well as pure spirit.” Baek has held 14 solo exhibitions and more than 100 group exhibitions in South Korea, France and North America. She serves as a director of the Korean Fine Arts Association and of the Modern Korean Painting Association, a judge of the Grand Art Exhibition of Korea and of the Korea Modern Art Contest. She also has won many grand prizes in various art fairs. She is now set to participate in the 2024 World Art Expo held 15-18 February at COEX Seoul.