▲ Literary painting artist Choi Eun-sook, aka Yoojeong

Falling in the charm of ink and its scent
Literary painting artist Choi Eun-sook is frank in expressing her brush works unbounded by any set rules. When she reached 25, her father encouraged Choi to learn calligraphy and she instantly fell in love with the ink and the smell it spread calmly. “I liked music very much when a child and brewed a dream of becoming a pianist one day. Yet I was too shy to expose my wish or put it into action. So, I was rather surprised myself to take my father’s suggestion to do calligraphy without much objection” looked back Choi. She majored in psychology at Chonbuk National University but lost her way what to do with her life after graduation. Strange to say that calligraphy filled her lost way and she observed herself being gradually absorbed in the art and finding a peace in her mind. She then came to realize what to do with the rest of her life. “My teacher showed me how to draw bamboo and the color and its spread instantly captivated my heart. I liked it very much and couldn’t help falling in love with the delicate scent.” Thus time went by quickly and it has been 35 years Choi has not even look back but pushed forward her zeal no matter what obstacles there have been. 

Harmony of objects
You might feel a sense of harmony between objects such as flowers and animals in Choi’s works. If you are a little sharper than others, you might also find her different point of view to see the world; for examples, the snail in <Slow Life>, the owl in <Gazing>, and the fish in <Play> each looks the world with their own eyes. Also, you can find a beauty of the margins through her recently exhibited works <In A Dream>, <At The River> and <The News of Spring> themed on trees, river and flower petals. “A literary painting can create a unique atmosphere depending on how the artist layout the space and forms. Calligraphy, of course, takes a great part in this since it functions the role of untangling the intended expression of the artist. Calligraphy in this case means a poem.” 

Exhibition overseas
Choi has had solo exhibition every other year home and abroad including at the Sounds of Korea Culture Center, the Hall of Ansan Culture and Arts, The Louvre (Paris, France), the Art Dubai and the Shanghai Art Fair. “In fact, the value of literary painting is more gained overseas than in Korea. This is because the style might arouse a sense of exotic feel to them. Thanks to it, I sold more of my works at overseas exhibitions which is very encouraging.” If you are fan of literary painting, you might want to expect her next exhibition.