Composition of Hangul Jamo

Composition of Hangul Jamo
Hyunju Lee, 2009
Mixed Media
UCD Design Museum in Walker Hall

This exhibit shows the rebellious ways in some parts of Korean culture. Where nature is highly emphasized in the museum, this piece definitely tries to show that disconnection between nature and modern conformity.

The top left corner of the artwork shows a bundle of Korean letters closely fitting together as if they randomly fell on top of each other and landed that way naturally. The circular and square shape signifies the variety of nature and the gaps in those shapes evenly distributes the amount of color and white space. On the bottom right corner, the letters are fitted together well almost as if a person is playing the game of Tetris. There are no longer circular or square shapes but only "T" formed shapes. This part signifies modernity and technology in this world today. Today, people are trying so hard to understand the world and trying to utilize nature to their advantage that they forget the beautiful assemble that nature has to offer. The large gap of white space in between the artwork resembles the disconnection between Korean culture and modernity. Although in reality, people are up to date with technology and modernity, this portrait wants to take that aspect out of the chaos and preserve the culture alone. To not be able to conform and fit into spaces where they might not belong and instead, naturally collect themselves to have gaps and be able to breathe in between.

It is also obvious that the left side of the artwork opposed to the right side is more aesthetically pleasing simply because there is more variety in geometric shapes and sizes rather than the oppression of enclosing the same shapes into a tight space.