85-year-old Buddhist monk explores intersection of Zen and art

Ven. Seongpa, an artist and the 15th Supreme Patriarch of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism / Courtesy of Seoul Arts Center

Ven. Seongpa is a prominent figure in the Jogye Order, the largest Buddhist sect in Korea. His spiritual journey began at the age of 21, and over the decades, he steadily rose through the ranks. In 2022, the monk was elected the 15th Supreme Patriarch, or “Jongjeong," the highest symbolic authority within the order.

However, what has always accompanied Ven. Seongpa throughout his religious devotion is his deep connection to art.

His ongoing exhibition at the Seoul Arts Center, titled “COSMOS,” shifts the spotlight from Seongpa the spiritual leader to Seongpa the artist. It features over 120 works spanning decades and different mediums, including exquisite “geumni sagyeong” (sutra transcriptions in golden ink), lacquer paintings, sculptures and installation art.

Lacquer pillars "Origin" by Ven. Seongpa / Courtesy of the artist and Seoul Arts Center

Among the standout pieces are 3-meter-tall black lacquer pillars, which evoke the origin of the universe, and a striking painting installation that has been fully submerged, designed to showcase the lacquer's waterproof properties.

Divided into six foundational sections — "Origin," "Fluid," "Illusion," "Creation," "Trace" and "Invisible" — the show pays special attention to the Buddhist monk's study of materials used in his art.

From growing native mulberry trees for "hanji" (traditional Korean paper) to cultivating indigo to recreate "gamji" (indigo-dyed paper) from the 918-1392 Goryeo Kingdom, Ven. Seongpa is known for being involved in processing his base materials and pigments.

His studio is a trove of natural materials, brimming with lacquer, mulberry barks, seashells, eggshells and wheatpaste.

Ven. Seongpa's lacquer painting "P0838" / Courtesy of the artist and Seoul Arts Center

Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of his oeuvre is his use of lacquer, known as “ott” in Korean.

While traditionally utilized in crafts for its durability and antiseptic properties, ott has been transformed at the hands of the monk into a primary medium for a much wider range of genres — paintings, ceramics, textiles and installations.

“When I work with lacquer, all my thoughts dissipate into thin air,” he once remarked. “The more I repeat the act of applying and polishing the ott layers, the more its true color is revealed, making this a Zen practice in itself.”

“COSMOS” runs through Nov. 17 at the Seoul Arts Center’s Hangaram Design Museum.