Since 1980s, I have been climbing Mt, Samghak on weekends with my daughter Soon-hee, her husband and several other friends. I especially love the beauty of nature along that particular mountain. I also play golf with my friends now and then and have traveled abroad a great deal. I have been several times in the U.S.A. and Europe. I went to Southeast Asia, Taiwan, China, Australia, Eastern Europe, and Russia and saw the different customs and arts in those countries. It was interesting to witness that the various races have their own histories and their unique ways of living.
As time moves on, ways of life and human environments change without interval. The arts also must change in accord with their environmental changes. Recently I came back from a two weeks trip to Venice, Vienna and Switzerland. This trip was sponsored by the Association of Korean Fiber Arts, and I enjoyed the company of those young artists of fiber who are teaching at universities and other institutions in Korea. I found a new confidence in them, knowing they are the ones who would carry on our traditions and create fine pieces of embroidery work, which I could not yet accomplish in my life.
Thoughts of embroidery have been with me all the while no matter where I was and what I was doing---traveling, taking walks, playing golf or the Kayakum. I had not put down my needle and threads yet and am contemplating of the effect of using hairs in place of the threads, so I have started to collect long hairs. I have tried to have my originality realized in my works, but I have to admit I am too old now to pass over the traditional techniques. Due to the fact that embroidery has been limited to women and that there could be no radical change in embroidery compared with other technical arts which were handed down to us, there must be gradual and minute changes while keeping the traditional as well.
I cannot say that my whole life was dedicated to embroidery. The paths of my life have not been easy and simple to adhere solely to embroidery. I belong to the past generation when women were confined and had less freedom than now. All I can say is that I have tried to be truthful and do my best in whatever circumstances I found myself. Foot-tracks of a person with wet socks,Wet by the morning dews; Early she's up and gone her way. After Beauty, her lasting dream.
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