세월오작교 Sewol Bridge of Crows

167cm x 327cm tempera on canvas 2024

17,000 € / 73,000 zł/ 24,310,000 ₩

The legend of Ojak-gyo is one of the most famous Korean folktales. It tells the story of a cowherd and a weaver, with its origins likely dating back before the 4th century CE. The tale revolves around the characters Gyeonu and Jiknyeo. The backdrop of the story is a celestial phenomenon where two stars in the Milky Way come close to each other every year on Chilseok Day, the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. Gyeonu and Jiknyeo fall deeply in love, but their love angers the Jade Emperor, and they are separated in the cosmos. Once a year, magpies form a bridge, called Ojak-gyo, allowing Gyeonu and Jiknyeo to reunite. This story serves as inspiration for the exhibition "Sewol Pietà – Come back Home."