Inspiration for the series of paintings titled “Songs of Flying Dragons”
The letters on these paintings are pieces from a 1447 poem titled Songs of Flying Dragons. The poem is printed on handmade paper imported from Korea. When I first saw the paper I found the use of the geometric Korean letters along with the Chinese symbols intriguing and decided to use it as backdrop for a series of mixed media paintings.
My affinity for words and language goes back a long way and found its expression in my work as a translator and language instructor. I have always enjoyed studying and teaching languages and believe that words have tremendous power. Whether spoken or in writing, language is the way we communicate with each other and express ourselves. Words give us the tool to inform, uplift, persuade and inspire, or destroy. Therefore, I found working with this paper provided both visual appeal and meaning to my paintings. They celebrate the historic importance of the poem through the emergence of a new writing system and remind us of the power of language in our lives.
The poem Songs of the Flying Dragons, also known as Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven, was a significant milestone in the evolution of the Korean language. It represents the first writings published in the new alphabet called Han‘gul, which over time became the official Korean alphabet. It was devised by King Sejong who felt compelled to design a writing system that could be easily learned by all people, regardless of their social status and background, and that would more accurately express the feelings and thoughts of the Korean people.
The poem celebrates the history of the Chosŏn or Yi dynasty, Korea’s last dynasty ruling over the country from 1392 to 1910. King Sejong, the 4th monarch of this dynasty felt that the Chinese writing system used in his time was inappropriate for the spoken Korean language and did not express its meaning in a true manner. He wrote:
… among the innocent people, there have been many who, having something to put into words, have in the end been unable to express their feelings. I have been distressed because of this, and have newly designed twenty-eight letters, which I wish to have everyone practice at their ease and adapt to their daily use.
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In almost an instant the ability to learn how to read and write was available across all classes of early Korean society uplifting the social status of the lower classes and shaking the very foundations of the old order.
King Sejong was likely a ruler with great vision and compassion. He believed in the importance and the power of language and the necessity of being able to express one’s thoughts and feelings accurately through language.
Today Korean is spoken by about 70 million people. Although most speakers of Korean live on the Korean Peninsula and its adjacent islands, more than 5 million are scattered throughout the world. Koreans are one of the most literate people on earth with an estimated 98% literacy. Since Han’gul’s vowels and consonants are combined to indicate a single sound (phoneme), the modern Korean alphabet is comprised of 40 characters: 14 consonants, 5 double consonants (stressed), 10 vowels, and 11 diphthongs, or double vowels.