National Folk Museum to exhibit Korean traditional colors

The National Folk Museum of Korea provides people with the beauty of Korea's traditional colors there.

The museum is holding a special exhibition titled "Colors that permeate through our life." It is an exhibition where people can experience the symbols of various colors reflected in Korean people's lives. More than 350 paintings and video works will be shown including Heungseon Daewongun portrait (Treasure No. 1499), Sun and Moon and Five Peaks (Irworobongdo), durumagi, traditional Korean overcoat, and white porcelain moon jar. "We wanted to show how Korean colors were created and changed through traditional relics," a museum staff said.

Part I of the exhibition shows five colors containing Korean emotions and values. The "white" session presents foreign records showing that Korean people have enjoyed wearing white clothes such as white durumagi and porcelains. The "black" session will exhibit black official hat and suits, while the "red" session will show red patjuk (red-bean gruel) and steamed rice cake used for rituals, and the "blue" session will portray blue porcelain and images of blue jeans.

Part II showcases relics in which yin-yang and five elements of the universe are expressed in colors. Based on the belief that people can accomplish fortune if they pursue balance of ying and yang, or negative and positive, various traditional lifestyle products balanced between red-black and white-black will be exhibited. The exhibition will continue through February 26 next year.

Sang-Un Kim sukim@donga.com