One Gate between Two Worlds

One Gate between Two Worlds, 2021
Dyed cotton, leather, viscose rayon threads and rug canvas (on the back)
322 x 297 cm
Photos above and below: Courtesy of PKM Gallery.

One gate between Two Worlds is a large-scale embroidery work whose motif comes from the shrine iconography of the “Shrine Picture (gammoyeojedo).” This shrine iconography functioned as a gate between the spiritual world (the imperceptible) and the real world (the material) in the Confucian memorialization rituals of Chosŏn Dynasty. Such connection between two worlds is a theme that encompasses the entire exhibition.

Installation view

  In this work, icons from the Spirit Shrine, such as a tower (nugak), are adopted, while the strict space of the Confucian ritual is reconstituted and fictionalized through the soft production process of female craft. The embroidered gorillas and monkeys, which are usually on the receiving end of the human gaze at zoos, humorously represent our ancestors, who were worshipped and respected in the past but gradually became forgotten subjects in contemporary society.

Ishmael: Even the Gorilla Needs a Flower, 2021
Cotton, viscose rayon threads, wood, steel, and various fabrics,
Approx. 100 x 100 x 200 cm