61st [Portrait] On a rainy afternoon

By Jesse Chun

ICHEON, Gyeonggi Province — Yi Mun-yol sat pensively, looking out the misty window that framed his backyard like a picturesque photograph.

His garden was filled with moist shrubs and occasional cosmos blossoms, which blurred into impressionistic dots of greens and pale pinks when the lens focused on the writer’s face. Maybe it was the dabs of pastels or the rain drops that quietly landed on the glass surface — but in the quaint room where Yi writes his novels, his face softened in the window reflection.

Yi spoke with enthusiasm through his coarse voice, and his steps were swift and light despite his sturdy frame. With every request during the shoot, he responded with a smile, putting you at ease even when he was cornered into a dirty wall with soil on his feet.

The novelist’s hectic schedule had overlapped with a fan club get-together, and the shoot ended on an abrupt note as he hurried away to greet his affectionate readers.

The rain continued to fall, this time not so silently, and the regret of not having exchanged proper goodbyes lingered in the air. Then Yi came running back with something in his hand. Handing over umbrellas, he did not forget to say goodbye with a nod and gracious grin.

Jesse Chun is a fine art photographer whose works have been exhibited and published internationally. She earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in photography from Parsons School of Design in New York. Visit www.jessechun.com (fine art) or www.jessechunphotography.com (editorial).