Beomeosa Seongbo Museum Opens Hong Sunghee Solo Exhibition "Yeon"

The Aesthetics of Disappearance Captured in 30 Black-and-White Photographs
"The Place of the Lotus Is Life Itself"

The Seongbo Museum at Beomeosa Temple, Geumjeong Chongnim, is presenting a solo exhibition titled "Yeon" by artist Hong Sunghee.

The exhibition will take place from December 16 to December 28 on the first floor courtyard of the Seongbo Museum, featuring around 30 black-and-white photographs set against the backdrop of a winter lotus pond.

The lotuses captured by Hong are not the lush leaves and vibrant flowers of summer, but rather the remnants left in the stillness of a frosty winter dawn. Through moments of "disappearance"-lines drawn across frozen water, broken stems, and the spaces left by fallen petals-the life of the lotus becomes even more vivid. The scenes in these photographs quietly record the boundary where death and life intersect, evoking a sense that is both familiar and strangely unfamiliar.

The exhibition is organized as a metaphorical cycle of creation and extinction, inviting viewers to naturally encounter the flow of existence through the "place" of the lotus. In the exhibition preface, Hong Sunghee's mentor, Kim Honghee, wrote, "Hong Sunghee's photographs do not capture the lotus itself, but the place where the lotus has disappeared," adding, "Beauty is not found in blooming, but arises for the first time in the place where it has vanished," explaining the meaning behind the works.

This exhibition resonates deeply by capturing, through photography, the space that remains after life has ended in the winter lotus pond and the subtle signs of new beginnings. Combined with the unique characteristics of the Seongbo Museum’s courtyard at Beomeosa Temple, it is expected to offer visitors a contemplative time to slow down and empty their minds amid daily life.

Venerable Jeongo, the abbot of Beomeosa Temple and director of the Seongbo Museum, stated, "The blooming and disappearance of the lotus are not separate, but one path," adding, "Hong Sunghee's photographs convey the life that dwells in the moment of disappearance." He continued, "As the year comes to a close, I hope this exhibition offers a precious opportunity for self-reflection and rest for the heart."

Artist Hong Sunghee's Solo Exhibition "Yeon" Poster.

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