Image Coming Soon

Diffuses Light, Mingles with the Dust (Hwa Kwang Dong Jin)

2003

Korean, born 1964

In his work to date, contemporary Korean artist Son Man-jin has employed copper wire, old candles, misshapen clay and plastics to startling effect. Here the artist returns to more traditional materials, but the result remains wholly original. He engraves a phrase on the convex surface of a 200-year-old tile salvaged from his hometown in Southeast Korea, then creates a single rubbing highlighted by his own dynamic calligraphy. The four-character phrase is taken from Lao-zi and reads: "Dim your brilliant light and become one with the dust."

Engraving and color on tile

8 x 4 x 16in. (20.3 x 10.2 x 40.6cm)

Gift of Kim Kyoo-Yun

2003.114

Not currently on view

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington. Asian Art Museum, "Calligraphic Abstraction," May 9, 2015 - October 4, 2015

Seattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, "Transforming Traditions: Japanese and Korean Art since 1800", May 23, 2009 - February 21, 2010

Seattle Art Museum respectfully acknowledges that we are on Indigenous land, the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people. We honor our ongoing connection to these communities past, present, and future.

Learn more about Equity at SAM