Bridging cultural and social distances through collaboration and encouraging diverse communities to understand each other are among the many reasons why art is important. In an attempt to explore these facets through artistic traditions, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea and Korean Cultural Centre India along with the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, have organised a cultural synergy to commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and India. Currently ongoing at the city’s National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA)—it will continue till April 30—this exhibition titled An Encounter with Korea Traditional Buddhist Culture in India, the Land of Buddha is a showcase of ‘Gwaebul’, which are Buddhist monumental thangkas or painting scrolls; Korean traditional lanterns of Yeondeunghoe, the lantern lighting festival; and photographs centred around the theme of temple stay.
The organisers have also arranged a Korean temple food demonstration and experience event by Jeong Kwan, a Buddhist nun who has mastered Korean temple food, today at the Korean Cultural Centre India. This is the first time temple cuisine—created keeping in mind the teachings of Buddha, this cuisine focuses on vegetarian ingredients and highlights the values of traditional Korean food—will be introduced in Delhi. Other facets of this programme include painting Korean cultural items, experiencing Korean Buddhist scriptures inking, and crafting lotus lanterns, all of which will continue at NGMA till today.
a photograph of a Buddha statueBuddhist culture on display When we visited NGMA on Friday, we saw visitors engrossed in various forms of art including woodblock printing, colouring fans, and creating lotus flower lanterns. There were a few who received hands-on experience with the first printing technology in history.
The exhibition here is a display of more than 70 images detailing the religious lives of monks and laity as well as other aspects of Buddhist culture is on display at the exhibition. Images include those of Korean Buddhist practitioners, registered temple units, temple food, the festival of Yeondeunghoe—an aspect of the UNESCO Intangible Heritage of Humanity Korea—the lives of practising monks, and stone statues. What lies at the heart of this event is an exhibit of traditional Korean paper lantern art. The slew of artists participating here include Jeon Young Il, Yin Song Ja, Hyun Jae Youl, and Yang Mi-young.
Hyun Jae Youl shared that most of Buddhism’s commercialisation focuses on promoting and showcasing temples to the public: “To emphasise the essence of Buddhist pilgrimage and belief systems, I designed an exhibition that features photographs of various aspects of Korean and Buddhist culture.” Youl’s favourite photograph is of a wooden block with Buddha’s words inscribed on 80 million pages. He added, “I spent seven years capturing photos of every page, which sparked my curiosity about why monks follow Buddha’s teachings and lifestyle. For the past 20 years, I have been taking pictures of monks and trying to understand how they came to believe in this philosophy.”
Another photo-artist named Ha Ji Kwon, believes that one can gain a deeper appreciation of authentic Korean culture by looking beyond its literal interpretation and considering it as a form of traditional artefact. Kwon shared, “I used natural materials such as bamboo, iron, and traditional hanji paper to produce unique designs. The process involved constructing a frame and then covering it with hanji paper.”
Embracing differences Anushri Taparia’s fascination with Korean culture goes beyond K-Pop and K-dramas. In fact, the spiritual and cultural aspects are what intrigues her. “I am here to learn about the temple stay experience in Korea and various activities they offer such as lamp making, fan colouring, and bead-making,” Taparia shared. Ekansh Nagar, a city-based Korean language student, mentioned that the environment gave a sense of the many aspects of Buddhist culture, and all the activities were based on the same.
He said, “I enjoyed making paper lotuses to showcase the precision and time required for Buddhist art; making prayer beads that represent the Buddhist code; and Korean-style fans to showcase Korean culture.” One can best describe this exhibition as an eye-opening experience, given that it provides citizens with a unique opportunity to comprehend and appreciate Korean traditions and heritage.
CHECK IT OUT
WHAT: ‘An Encounter with Korea Traditional Buddhist Culture in India, the Land of Buddha’ WHEN: Till April 30, 11:00am to 6:00pm WHERE: National Gallery of Modern Art, Jaipur House, India Gate, Delhi
