▲ Wood Carving Artist Sung Ki-tae

Seogak (wood carving) is one of the traditional Korean arts practiced from long time ago. A seogak artist carves letters and images onto a wood to create a work of art. Some seogak artists says that the carving process is like a meditation that they just concentrate on each movement of the hands and body to naturally forget the worldly thoughts and worries. But the results, however, differs from artist to artist as the work is the representation of the artist's intention, design and dexterity. 

Seogak artist Sung Ki-tae aka Gosan has worked in the education field for a long time. He served the chancellor of a national university and taught students for 39 years. The works he has created are melted with his character and personality. Alongside seogak, he polished up his skills in calligraphy and literati painting.

It was 10 years ago he started indulging in the charm of seogak under the instruction of a seogak master Kim Gak-han followed by another master Sim Jong-bo. Critics in the art circles say that Sung is an artist who applies new and various methods with different materials. 

His studio is in Chungju City where he has worked every day throughout the year except New Year's Day for 2 years. The studio is being used as a practice room of the Korea National University of Transportation Lifelong Learning Center in which he is running a seogak class.

Sung has won numerous prizes including the silver prize at the 2020 Korea Creative Art Competition and the 2021 Korean Art and Cultural Awards. He listed his name as a master seogak artist in the Korea Paintings & Calligraphy Association.