LETTER FROM SEOUL
The wall of silence erected by the powerful conservative fringe of South Korean society against any form of recognition and visibility of LGBT minorities is cracking with artistic touches, emanating from K-pop as well as traditional arts.
These projections are multiplying in a country often criticized for the absence of legislation against discrimination. LGBT people live there, recalled in December 2021 the organization Human Rights Watch, in a situation of vulnerability in the face of “dismissal, expulsion or other forms of harassment. LGBT children find themselves very isolated and abused at school”.
Taking advantage of a dynamic artistic scene and a more attentive youth, creators no longer hesitate to publicly expose their sexual orientation. This February, a few weeks after a court in Seoul rejected a request by a homosexual couple to obtain social security benefits reserved for married couples, the South Korean capital is hosting two notable exhibitions by artists in their thirties. asserting their queer identity.
Overcome “self-hatred” by reincarnating as a tiger
Studio Concrete in eastern Seoul is hosting a series by painter Park Grim, titled Shimhodo-Chosen, which can be translated as “painting in search of the tiger”. Serving multiple causes such as LGBT or feminism, Studio Concrete was created by a collective led by actor Yoo Ah-in, known for his positions in favor of minorities.
A graduate in Buddhist art from Dongguk University, Park Grim translates with his project, launched in 2018, a desire to overcome his “self-hatred” by reincarnating as a tiger – his virtual persona. This work is inspired by a genre of Buddhist painting called «Shimudo» (“the painting of the search for an ox”), an allegory of people in search of their own nature or spirit.
Park Grim’s works revolve around a baby tiger made in the pictorial style of the Joseon period (1392-1910), placed in the hands of the bodhisattva (being on the path to enlightenment who practices the highest virtues ) of compassion Gwaneum – Avalokitesvara in Sanskrit –, depicted in the style of paintings from the Goryeo period (918-1392). Avalokitesvara, a popular bodhisattva in East Asia, is known for his fluctuating gender, to the point of being sometimes considered androgynous.
“More than my being a sexual minority, my self-hatred stems from the fact that I am not very attractive to other gay people. Appearances are important in this community,” explained the artist to the conservative daily JoongAng.
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