Page 44 - Tạp chí bonsai BCI Q12011

T The photos in this article come from many books and magazines

given to the author by Suseok lovers. They are reproduced here for the
purpose of promoting and explaining the Korean aesthetic for stones.
We thank the copyright holders of these photos and for their use in
helping advance this art form.
H

E he culture of stone collecting passed from China

to Korea and then on to Japan. No precise his-
S Tor Zen, practiced by scholars and monks. The
torical data of this movement exists, but it is be-
lieved that it is connected to the spread of Ch’an

earliest documented evidence indicates that the person
who is considered the father of Suseok was the famous
U Buddhist monk, Isang, (625-702) (fig.1) who was the ini-
tiator of a tradition of Zen Buddhism.
The Japanese Buddhist monks who traveled to China,
stayed over in Korea and there was a considerable ex-
change between these two cultures. Many of them came
S in contact with Isang and his brand of Zen thought, earn-
ing him great respect and high esteem.
Some centuries later, the celebrated Japanese artist
named Moye (1173-1232) painted a portrait of Isang in
E 1. Buddhist Monk Isang 625-702 monks. These paintings are considered national Japanese
a series of pictures which told the story of two Buddhist
treasures and are kept in a temple in Kyoto. In one of
these, a prized stone can be seen on a small table in front
of Isang. (fig. 2)
O This art form probably began some time earlier, but this
is the first tangible proof of the existence of Suseok. In
effect this is the first Suseok in the history of Korea. Even
though the stone itself has been lost, its image will be
kept forever. (fig. 3)
K Suseok was widespread among scholars and monks as
an object of meditation little known among ordinary
people. The Suseok boom started in 1900, but was in-
terrupted between 1910 and 1945 when Korea suffered
Japanese occupation. The stone culture only began to
2. Painting of Moye Isang in his studio. Note the
develop again among the people since 1960. It began to
suseok on the table.
spread in the area of Busan in the south of Korea. This
area is geographically very close to Japan and this had
by Chiara an artistic influence. In Korea there is a national associa-
Padrini tion, and also each region has its own association which
represents the material typical of that area.
Translation by In 1985 the first national association was founded. There
Kathy Coffman
were then one million people interested in Suseok. In
1988, during the Olympic Games in Seoul, the first big
exhibition of the best Korean Suseok was organized,
which helped to further spread this art.
Each year exhibitions at various levels are organized.
3. First evidence of suseok art form
42 | January/February/March 2011