Dr. Kyung Hwa Shon created this new artwork inspired by traditional roof tiles from Goguryeo Kingdom (Ancient Kingdom of Korea, 37 BC - 668 AD) as part of her research art project 'In the Flow: Onomichi and Korea', which she has been working on since 2023 in collaboration with Japanese non-profit organisations, Korean researchers, and cultural institutions in Korea and Japan. Under the theme of art, design, craft, and technology, she is interested in exploring traditional art-making methods, processes, materials, and techniques, as well as cutting-edge technologies, innovative techniques, and newly invented modern materials applied to 21st century design, architecture, and art, and applying them to her new work. Her collaborative project aims to understand the colonial history of East Asia in the 20th century, particularly the history between Japan and Korea, by collecting and studying living historical and cultural materials related to traditional Korean architecture in Japan and tracing the process and status of the Korean artefacts brought to Japan during the colonial period (1910-1945).
In the first year of the project, her research team visited all of the main research sites and interviewed people with various memories and stories related to the research materials, which were then archived and translated in both Korean and Japanese. The focus of the project is to collectively reflect on the historical relationship between Japan and Korea, and to promote positive development and cultural exchange between the two countries.
About the research project: In the Flow: Onomichi and Korea
Project lead: Dr. Kyung Hwa Shon
Project co-lead: Tamaki Ono (小野環)
Researcher: Kyungmin Son
Coordinator: Ayaka Yoshida (吉田彩花)