Farewellscape (Translation)
Jiha Moon, South Korean, born 1973 (Artist)
"Sometimes everything looks strange. . . . The world is built of mistakes, spills, stains, and splashes of blue and brown that grow into trees and plants. I am here, convincing myself that I know this place." —Jiha Moon
The most frequently noted characteristic of Moon’s paintings is “fluidity,” which results from her use of organic lines and ambiguous forms together with a lack of clear spatial orientation. Themes of cultural hybridity are central to her paintings; they allude to Renaissance drawings, landscapes of China’s Tang dynasty (618–907 AD), and contemporary comic book art. Beginning with Korean Hanji paper, handmade from mulberry tree bark, Moon applies ink washes and strokes of acrylic paint. To those marks, she adds images—eyes, kites, lanterns—until the forms begin to take on the appearance of a landscape or seascape. Farewellscape is an unexpectedly vertical seascape of a rough ocean. The ribbonlike forms that zigzag through the space encourage the viewer’s eye to ascend the painting, while the watery forms at the bottom dissolve any sense of groundedness or stability.
The most frequently noted characteristic of Moon’s paintings is “fluidity,” which results from her use of organic lines and ambiguous forms together with a lack of clear spatial orientation. Themes of cultural hybridity are central to her paintings; they allude to Renaissance drawings, landscapes of China’s Tang dynasty (618–907 AD), and contemporary comic book art. Beginning with Korean Hanji paper, handmade from mulberry tree bark, Moon applies ink washes and strokes of acrylic paint. To those marks, she adds images—eyes, kites, lanterns—until the forms begin to take on the appearance of a landscape or seascape. Farewellscape is an unexpectedly vertical seascape of a rough ocean. The ribbonlike forms that zigzag through the space encourage the viewer’s eye to ascend the painting, while the watery forms at the bottom dissolve any sense of groundedness or stability.
Republic of Korea
Stamp in lower right, signature?
Gift of the Fabergé Society of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
© Jiha Moon
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