Tiger and Magpie hojak-do study, 2020

Traditional Korean pigment on Korean hanji paper

In February of 2020, I took my first minhwa lesson. This course was taught weekly by an elder master teacher in deep Queens, NY.

In this study, I practiced using a popular “hojak-do” drawing of a tiger and magpie. This is a common satire piece, where the tiger represents aristocrats and nobles in power, while the magpie represents the common people. The magpie kept teasing and scolding the tiger, flying into a tree out of the tigers reach, ridiculing him until he went mad (thus his derpy face). It is a satirical depiction of hierarchy during Joseon’s feudal era.

This process involves multiple meticulous layers with a fine brush. I had to size the paper with an animal-based glue, mix each pigment using a powder, then lay down each layer in very very thin strokes. Every error showed, and it was both a practice in meditation, trust, and process.