Australian Artists Inspired by Life in Korea
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
Living in Korea is not always easy, especially for foreign residents. But it can often provide a wealth of inspiration for foreign artists. Australian artists Dr. Anna Phillips and Brenda Stace Chat have both lived in Seoul for several years now, and are constantly inspired by the unique aspects of Korean culture.
The two artists met with The Korea Times at the Space restaurant in Namsan, where their artworks are being displayed.
Phillips, originally from Tasmania, uses Korean plastic shopping bags as material for her work. Many people often do not pay any attention to the plastic bags, but Phillips describes the colorful, printed bags as ``beautiful," compared to the boring, plain plastic bags in Australia.
``I think plastic is a misunderstood medium. I wanted to use plastic to create beautiful things and make people see that plastic is an object of beauty,'' she said.
Phillips, an art teacher at an international school in Seoul, used strips of plastic bags to create her own version of the bojagi or traditional Korean wrapping cloth. She learned the traditional art of bojagi at Unhyeon Palace, near Insa-dong.
``I am fascinated by the intricate designs and colorful patterns of bojagi fabric and cloth designs. I attempted to use the traditional skills to make the bojagi with Korean plastic bags, which have such dynamic motifs and symbols printed on their surfaces. With my latest art pieces, I am trying to reflect and comment on modern life, and our relationship to the past, both from an international and personal perspective,'' she said.
In her work ``Be The Reds,'' she crocheted long strips of red Migliore and Puma plastic bags into flowers. She recalled how she and a Korean friend would stand outside the Migliore building, asking shoppers for their red plastic bags.
``I came here at the height of World Cup fever, and everyone was talking about `Be the Reds.' I wanted to be part of that, and become the Red, through this (work),'' Phillips said.
While she can't speak Korean, Phillips says, ``art transcends language, even if I can't speak Korean, I can make Korean (art)."
On the other hand, Chat takes her inspiration from trees and forests, which she has seen during her hikes through the Korean mountains.
``I go up the mountains every Saturday, and I see how Koreans have such a deep connection with trees. The trees in Korea are very beautiful not just in the summer, but even in the dead of winter when the trees are naked and black. I have never seen more beautiful trees anywhere else in the world,'' Chat said
Chat, who works as an animator, created a series of oil encaustic paintings called ``Monoculture.'' This series, she explains, is a ``social commentary on the lack of biodiversity and decreasing corridors of eco systems to make way for industrialized food production.''
She sees a common love and respect for nature in Korean and Australian cultures, which she tries to convey in her paintings.
``Both the Korean and Australian cultures respect and regard trees and forests as being a resource of bio diversity, the keeper of secrets, and links of harmony which binds the two cultures. The uses of repetitive images of trees, the interplay of light and shadows, exploring rhythm, texture and form, I explore the landscape and the deeply respected Korean love of trees, and natural objects into intricate thought and light patterns,'' Chat said
Space is located next to the Phillips shop, near the Hyatt Hotel. Visit www.devill.co.kr/itaewon/itaewon01.html.