 Artist Cho Duk Hyun's 'Son Hoyun’
Sunshine's Culture Essay Cho Duk Hyun's 'Son Hoyun Special’
Taking a train from Yongsan Station, you arrive in Iksan in just an hour. Chatting with a friend makes the time fly by. At the Iksan Chunpo, in a 1,400 pyong rice mill factory established 110 years ago by the Hosokawa family during the Japanese colonial period, artist Cho Duk Hyun combines his works—paintings, drawings, photos, objects and videos created on canvas and paper—against the backdrop of this historic space, fully expressing his artistic philosophy. In contemporary art, this is known as site-specific installation art. Cho Duk Hyun, a renowned painter who has received awards such as the Lee In Sung Art Award and served as a professor at Ewha Women’s University and a visiting professor at Tohoku University of Art and Design in Japan, stumbled upon the Chunpo rice mill factory after his retirement and transformed it into a modern art space—a stroke of genius. This space layered with eons of time and memories of countless lives from the surrounding area, meets this extraordinary artist, creating a plan that allows the space, the artist's vision, and the viewers to breathe and converse together. As you enter the west side of the space, you are greeted by a massive installation of translucent silk fabric. This visualizes the analemma, the figure-eight pattern traced by the sun's position at the same time and place over a year. Spaces 1, 2 and 3 seem interconnected yet distinctly visible. 4 statues of Avalokiteshvara are mirrored on the water tank and to the right, an entire wall is covered with portraits of people from the Japanese colonial era. Upon closer inspection, you realize that these group portraits, which appear to be photographs, are actually detailed pencil drawings of numerous individuals. In Space 5, you encounter an especially memorable scene. It features an installation based on the diary of Lee Chun Ki who lived in Chunpo managing an orchard. He wrote and illustrated his diary daily for 30 years until his death. The manuscript, filled with professional-level writing and drawings, is meticulously reproduced and displayed on a high wall, evoking deep emotions from viewers. Entering Space 6, you find a large painting on a grand wall. Titled "Flashforward," this mural-like painting depicts various disasters in human history, with the high wooden ceiling structure above adding to the cinematic feel of the scene. As you marvel at each part of this vast space, you finally reach the seventh area. Here, a large canvas features a bold pencil drawing of poet Son Ho Yon in traditional Korean hanbok, extending onto a long canvas spread across the floor, symbolizing the continuity of her pure spirit into the present. Iksan, a key site of Baekje history with remnants of King Mu's palace, connects the stories of Baekje and Chunpo. The only remaining Baekje-era poem, 'Jeongeupsa' is linked to Son Hoyun's tanka of love and longing, giving the project its name 'Jeongeupsa' I admire the artist’s insight in thinking of Son Hoyun who inherited Hyangga, the millennium-old poem which is the essence of Baekje culture and continuing the narrative. The Hyangga which disappeared 1400 years ago along with Baekje, was passed down to Japan. Having encountered this poem during her studies in Japan 80 years ago, she remembered her legendary teacher's advice to write about the beauty of Korea. Despite the upheavals of liberation, division and war, she kept the promise, feeling a deep pride in continuing her ancestors' spirit a thousand years later. Perhaps to prevent loneliness, her devoted daughter who has contributed greatly to the Son Hoyun project, is seen beside her. One can almost hear the warm conversations between mother and daughter poets. Stepping outside, the metasequoia trees' fresh leaves rustle in the wind, and love epithets inscribed on transparent monuments in the grass softly illuminate the heart of the beholder. Having never asked what your favorite flower is I hesitate every time I visit your grave
Not knowing the name of your favorite flower what can I say about your deep heart Nearby, the remains of Baekje's royal palace site with a 5-story pagoda from the Goryeo era stand tall and the ruins of Mireuksa Temple's 9-story pagoda extend across time and space merging with the sky in a peaceful panorama not visible to the naked eye but keenly felt in spirit. My companions express admiration for Cho Duk Hyun's works and the scenic beauty of the Baekje royal palace site. The moonlight shines through the purple skirt pleats hung to block the dawn breeze (This poem, written during the war while living with seven family members in a warehouse in Choryang, reflects the scene of moonlight pouring through a purple skirt hung to block the cold breeze. Though it cannot compare to the great ancient poets’ moon song, I hold deep affection for this short poem composed during the war - from Son Hoyun's lecture at the Japanese National Diet) This poem is inscribed on a transparent monument in the garden and also displayed as a video in a nearby warehouse gallery. The exhibition is long, so I highly recommend visiting Iksan Chunpo. If you join me, I can also provide a poetry interpretation. The installation artwork in Space 1 of the spacious rice mill factory
A large drawing of numerous people meticulously drawn with pencil
The touching diary and drawings written daily by Lee Chun Ki in Iksan 118 years ago
A vast painting depicting 'disasters & wars of the world' on a canvas spanning tens of meters
'Poem Jeongeupsa' and Poet Son Hoyun
The Poet daughter of the Poet
Son Hoyun's transparent monument seen through the garden grass 
the 9 story pagoda at the site of the vanished Mireuksa Temple near the exhibition hall | 