Hojakdo

 

These works focus on tigers and magpies—iconic figures in Minhwa—for their layered symbolism and subversive narratives. During the Joseon dynasty, folk painters used these animals to critique authority; the clumsy tiger embodied the ruling class, while the magpie laughing from above represented the people. I reimagine this composition and other iconic motifs to explore power, resistance, and the shifting of hierarchies.

These forms speak to grief, protest, and the endurance of those affected by displacement. They are also expressions that resonate with emotional weight of Han and Jeong — the generational sorrow and love I carry within the diaspora.

As The Hungry Tiger Stares, I Give My Heart To the Magpies
Acrylic, Graphite, Ink on Hanji
53" x 36"
2025

Legacy of Fabled Mother
Acrylic, Graphite, Ink on Hanji 
54" X 33.5"
2024

Another Tale of a Mother, Tiger, Rooster, and the Land of Dreams
Acrylic, Graphite, Ink on Hanji 
60" X 40"
2024