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Tiger paintings greet 2010

 

(left)"Magpie & Tiger"/"Story of a Tiger"[Avenuel]

Galleries and museums throughout the country are holding tiger-featured exhibitions to celebrate 2010, the year of the tiger according to the Chinese Zodiac.

Though it is typical to hold zodiac-related exhibitions at this time of the year, the courageous-looking tigers do stir up the urge to face the new year with determination.

From the basement to the fifth floor, Avenuel in central Seoul, is decorated with cartoonist Suh Gong-im's tiger paintings based on Korean folktales.

Suh's exhibition "Folk Tiger Paintings" displays 44 paintings in which tigers look friendly or sometimes hilarious.

This is in fact how Koreans used to depict tigers in folk tales in generations past.

Tigers burst with laughter while joking with a magpie. Others make an irritated face after being fooled by a rabbit. Another leisurely smokes a pipe and crosses all four of its eyes.

"Suh said that she met a positive turning point of her life while painting tigers. It seems to have something to do with the fact that tigers were always a symbol of wealth and hope among our people. Royal families or the aristocrats used to hang tiger paintings in their homes. Seeing Suh's paintings would be a meaningful event for our viewers this year," said an organizer.

Also in central Seoul, Woo Lim Gallery in Insadong presents 50 traditional and contemporary paintings that feature tigers.

The contemporary paintings are new works that were made to celebrate the start of 2010. Each artist created their own unique tiger characters.

Seo Yong-seon painted a ferocious tiger using strong brush strokes and intense colors, while An Yun-mo and No Jun turned the beast into cute and cuddly creatures. Tiger folk paintings of the Joseon Dynasty can also be found at the exhibition.

Busan Museum and Ulsan Daegok Museum, both in South Gyeongsang Province, showcase a wide range of tiger-related relics from everyday goods like cigarette cases, pencil boxes and books to including belts and trinkets.

The nation's oldest tiger painting can be found at Ulsan Daegok Museum. The museum showcases other interesting relics, such as tiger whiskers or "norigae," or Korean traditional ornaments for women, made of tiger toenails.

The exact period when Koreans started to decorate clothes with tiger whiskers is unknown, but the custom is known to have come from China. In the Joseon Dynasty, it was mandatory for military officials to decorate their hats with them.

Women are known to have been fond of tiger toenail norigae back then as they believed they drove away evil sprits.

If you live on Jeju Island or in the Jeolla provinces, head for Lee Jung Seop Gallery in Seogwipo, Jeju Island or Jeonju National Museum in North Jeolla Province to start the New Year with some tiger paintings.

Lee Jung Seop Gallery showcases 25 tiger paintings by 11 Jeju-based artists based at the exhibition "The Tiger that Lives on an Island" and Jeonju museum displays some oriental and folk paintings of tigers.

"Folk Tiger Paintings" runs through Feb. 28 at Avenuel. For more information, call (02) 726-4428.

"GaGaHoHo" runs through Feb. 26 at Woo Lim Gallery. For more information, call (02) 733-3788.

Busan Museum exhibition runs through March 1. For more information, call (051) 610-7111.

Ulsan Daegok Museum exhibition runs through Feb. 21. For more information, call (052) 229-6638.

Lee Jung Seop Gallery exhibition runs through Feb. 17. For more information, call (064) 733-3555.

Jeonju National Museum exhibition runs through Feb. 28. For more information, call (063) 223-5651.

(claire@heraldm.com)

By Park Min-young