By my age around thirty, I travelled to Annapurna. I was invited to the friend’s house that had the only flush toilet in his village. Literally, it was an invitation but in fact, it was almost a self-mortification. I was actually crawling to the high mountain village which was located around the altitude of three thousand to four thousand meters. After, reaching the village with difficulties, my body was burning in the end. I guess I probably had an altitude sickness. My friend laid me down inside the village temple and fed me something salve-like mixed with hot sheep milk. I slept well just like a fainted man. On the next day, I opened my eyes as I heard the songs. I opened the door and I could have the Himalayas which were bright under the sunlight in my eyes as well as full of red flowers at the threshold. Around twenty to thirty local kids, who seemed aged under ten, were singing in the garden. I could not say a word by looking at their sparkling eyes and hearing their voices, the permanent snow of the Himalayas and the red petals piled up at the door. After a while, the doors of the houses were opened and I could see the smoke at every house. Later, I could found out that this is the tradition of this town: in the early mornings, children with their baskets go into the mountains singing in a line, and picking up the red petals. The children visit every house in a village, singing and sprinkling red petals at the door. This is how they let people know the beginning of the day, and sending best wishes to greet every member in the town. The awe-inspiring scene that I have seen here- which is like the scene popped out from the fairy tales is clearly stamped in my mind. This is the most beautiful scenery I have experienced in my life. With my clumsy writing, I cannot represent perfectly. I have been having a life as an art critic and a curator continuously, and to confess the truth, the awe-inspiring scene that I have experienced in Annapurna became the biggest criteria of planning an exhibition or selecting the works. Some of the works by some artists caused me the amazement that I have faced at that time. The works by these six artists are the ones which caused me sublime. These artists include from my old friend known for more than twenty years, and to the ones who I have only known for less than six months. Just like the world we live in, there are sincerity and materialism co-existing together in the art world, and indeed it is secular. However, in the life of the secular world, the moments that we awe, although seem very rare, explicitly exist.
- Yun Chea Gab (Director, HOW Art Museum)

Courtesy of Hakgojae Gallery