White Plum Blossoms

허달재

2016

145x208cm

한지에 수묵 채색 금니(金泥)

Stories contained in the plum blossom paintings by Lin Bu, a Chinese poet during the Song dynasty, are well known for his anecdotes that praise plum trees and cranes, likening the plum blossom to his wife and the crane to his child. The plum blossom was the setting of Plum Blossom and House (梅花書屋圖) that is a romantic representation of one’s life in the country full of plum blossoms along with a phrase from Little Plum Blossom at Hill Garden (山園小梅), a poem by Lin Bu. Artists of literati painting showed their particular interest in plum blossoms that inspired them. Their scattered shadows fall lightly on clear water / Their subtle scent pervades the moonlit dusk. (疏影橫斜水清淺 暗香浮動黃昏)

Sound outside Sound

허달재

2000

135x174cm

한지에 수묵

Peony

허달재

2015

129x190cm

한지에 수묵 채색 금니(金泥)

Spirit of the brush

허달재

Huh has made forays into visualizing his own symbolization to represent the spirituality and vitality of literati culture. This is roughly analogous to a process in which the artist as a literary person studies a profound insight into humans and material properties. One of his representative series, Sound outside Sound (聲外聲) is interpreted as “sound beyond sound.” It refers to the inner sense we feel through our insight, not listening to any sound actually. The sound that is not a sound is a soundless communication necessary for the five senses including the sense of hearing, such as one’s inner shape, atmosphere, and dignity. Literati painting in Eastern art is referred to as poetry without characters or poetry without sound. This means we are able to experience an artist’s poetic world by reading some meaning with our eyes. Huh’s work is both "seeing" the tale of a literati painting and “hearing” the scent of dignity it radiates.

The scent of brush and ink

허달재

The cardinal motifs adopted for literati painting are the Four Gentlemen (the plum blossom, the orchid, the bamboo, and the chrysanthemum), flower, figure, and landscape. Huh’s work addresses flowers, especially plum blossoms, one of the Four Noblemen that has been the elemental subject matter of literati painting in his own manner. The plum blossom frequently mentioned in classical literature has been employed to stand for spirituality as it has a strong scent and blooms in winter. A symbolic aspect of the plum blossom in his paintings is couched in his brush and ink techniques that gradate ink coloring. Painters from the Southern School of painting scene have constantly portrayed the plum blossom while Huh has also painted this subject matter and its beauty in his own distinctive way.

The garden of a literary person

허달재

Literati painting has often been regarded as a means for intellectuals to enhance their cultural refinement. His works include a series of still-life paintings featuring tea utensils that reflect the profundity of tea culture. A variety of flower paintings he worked on present a system of literary symbols. Peony and grape are frequently depicted and interpreted under the concept of ten flower friends, eight noblemen, or six noblemen. Accordingly, his work shows the spirit of literary men who train themselves to be refined in a broad range of disciplines such as literature, painting, and tea ceremonies. This is in concert with the character of contemporary Korean-style painting that seeks diversity.