Wall-mounted work, “Protection Against Evil”, Kalopanax branches, gold leaf, ink. Kalopanax Septemlobus is a tree also known as prickly castor-oil tree, which grows around Korea, Japan and China. In Korean folk religion, the thorny branches of this tree are used to chase away evil spirits, illnesses and to prevent accidents. It is a medicinal herb and can e.g. be drunk as tea or cooked and eaten with chicken, which is believed to strengthen the immune system. The branches are also hung over gates or room doors in homes, and in some regions – hung on the living room wall when there is a contagious disease going around.
South Korean visual artist Jin-Sook So has created this wall-mounted work titled “Protection against Evil” which consists of Kalopanax branches painted with gold leaf and ink. It measures 26 x 29 x 6,5 cm with a plexiglass box.
Jin-Sook So (b. 1950) resides and works in Stockholm. She has studied in Seoul, Kyoto and at Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm. So is represented in numerous collections, including The Museum of Arts and Design in New York, Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, The Röhsska Museum in Gothenburg, The Brooklyn Museum in New York and The National Museum of Art in Osaka.
SOLD.