sleeping bull

sleeping bull (2021) | 150cm x 150cm | acrylic, hand-dyed cotton thread on raw canvas

After undergoing a shamanic ritual to rid me of spirit illness, I had a few months of healing period before a Cheondo-jae was scheduled.

Cheondo-jae (薦度齋) is a Buddhist ritual held to offer prayers for the spirit of the dead to be sent to the bliss of the afterworld.

Before the ritual took place, there was an inner calling for this painting: a sleeping bull surrounded by lotus flowers.

Once I had the epiphany I learned that a sleeping bull represents ancestors at peace.

Lotus flowers are closely connected to Buddhism and they represent the purity of the body: rising and blooming above the murk to achieve enlightenment. The bull finally closes its eyes to fully rest for it to ready itself for reincarnation.

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spirit illness series

The Spirit Illness series explores my long-suffering of a spiritual and metaphysical experience. For most of my life, I endured a series of unexplained symptoms such as undiagnosable depression, extreme fatigue, alcoholism, dreaming and seeing of spirits, and precognitions. Finally, I was diagnosed with a culturally-specific spirit illness, known in Korea as ‘Sinbyoeng’ (신병). The Spirit Illness series began in 2019, and fortunately, the symptoms were diagnosed and treated successfully through a shamanic ritual in July 2020.

The series mostly includes self-portraits with snakes and animal symbolism. It is a growing body of work, as there are many more stories yet to be told.

spirit illness: slump (2020) | 90cm x 120cm | acrylic, hand-dyed cotton threads on raw canvas.

spirit illness: the hunt (2020) | 120cm x 90cm | acrylic, hand dyed cotton thread on linen

spirit illness: beer (2020) | 90cm x 120cm | acrylic, hand-dyed cotton threads on raw canvas.