Hidden Legacies

An Exploration of Korean Art at Pitts Theology Library

山上聖訓

An eight panel folding screen supporting calligraphy of an interpretation of the Eight Beatitudes (Matthew 5) in Chinese. The artist, Rev. Eun-deok Choi, has signed the work with his sobriquet, 義山 (의산; Righteous Mountain). The artist, Rev. Choi, was an acquaintance of the former President of Methodist Theological University in Seoul, Bong-bae Park, and may have originally gifted the work to him. Park, in turn, was a friend and colleague of former Emory University President and US Ambassador to Korea, James T. Laney, and possibly gifted the work to him. Ultimately, the work was gifted to Candler School of Theology by Laney.

curated by Sangeon Kim, MDiv '24, and Brinna Michael

There are so many legacies within the walls of Pitts Theology Library, yet so many of those legacies remain hidden. Ever since I learned that fact, the main entrance to the library and the search bar on pitts.emory.edu have connected me to a world where those legacies are alive. It is like the closet door from the Chronicles of Narnia to me.

Through this digital exhibition, I introduce, interpret, and revise three such living legacies of Pitts Theology Library. Now, I would like to invite you to explore the hidden legacies that remain!

Sangeon Kim

피츠신학도서관 1층 서가 뒤 조용한 서재공간 사이에 방문객에게 생소할 수 있는 세 가지 예술작품이 전시되어 있습니다. 눈에 띄는 리노컷 프린트, 복잡하게 세밀한 자수작품, 그리고 여덟 개의 판으로 구성된 멋진 8폭 서예병풍까지. 이 작품들은 한국, 조지아, 캔들러신학대학원 간의 오랜 관계에 대해 우리에게 무엇을 말해주고 있을까요? 수 개월 간의 연구, 여정, 그리고 협업을 통해 김상언과 그의 수퍼바이저 브리나 마이클은 에모리 대학교, 캔들러신학대학원, 피츠신학도서관과 함께 한국의 예술가, 성직자, 그리고 교회 간의 연결을 구축(및 재형성)하면서 세 가지 유산의 의미와 역사를 풀어냈습니다.

이번 전시의 세 가지 핵심 작품들은 피츠신학도서관 1층에서 만나보실 수 있습니다.

On the first floor of Pitts Theology Library, tucked behind the stacks and amongst the quiet of the study carrels, are a trio of artworks that may be unfamiliar to visitors: a striking linocut print, an intricately detailed piece of embroidery, and an eight-paneled folding screen decorated with stunning calligraphy. What can these works tell us about the longstanding relationship between Korea, Georgia, and Candler School of Theology? Through months of research, travel, and collaboration, Sangeon Kim and Brinna Michael have unraveled three legacies of art and history, forging (and reforging) the connections between Korean artists, clergy, and churches, with Emory University, Candler School of Theology, and Pitts Theology Library.

The three core works that prompted this exhibit can be found on the first floor of Pitts Theology Library.

Mes (2008)

Artist Statement: "The title of this work, , means that all the people looking at Jesus are all my various aspect. So I named me as in plural. In the background of the painting appears the painting by Kim Hong-Do (artist of the late Joseon dynasty). All of them are figures borrowed from this painting. In the middle of this work, I borrowed the Crucifixion from , Matthias Grünewald is a 16th century German painter. Borrowing images in postmodernism takes its own place in the history of modern art. It assumes that spectators already know great value of the original works. The images borrowed in the following works are classified into three categories: masterpieces in Western Christianity, Korean paintings in late Joseon dynasty. First, I borrow several Western masterpieces since Christian faith have long been expressed in works of art from the Western perspective. In this way I hope to help people feel at ease with the communicated biblical stories. Next, I borrow several Korean indigenous images from the paintings in the late Joseon dynasty which show a uniquely Korean identity independent from the Chinese culture. In order to express my identity as a Korean artist and to carry on the Korean cultural tradition, I borrow genre paintings of Joseon dynasty. With the emerging issue of consilience in mind, I reconstructed these materials— that is, images from the East and the West that were used in different works of art and thus had no intrinsic relationship with one another—so that each of them should be found in one piece of artwork. This suggests moving forward to a new phase through conflict and reconciliation between the past and the present, and between the East and the West."
Date
2008

山上聖訓

An eight panel folding screen supporting calligraphy of an interpretation of the Eight Beatitudes (Matthew 5) in Chinese. The artist, Rev. Eun-deok Choi, has signed the work with his sobriquet, 義山 (의산; Righteous Mountain). The artist, Rev. Choi, was an acquaintance of the former President of Methodist Theological University in Seoul, Bong-bae Park, and may have originally gifted the work to him. Park, in turn, was a friend and colleague of former Emory University President and US Ambassador to Korea, James T. Laney, and possibly gifted the work to him. Ultimately, the work was gifted to Candler School of Theology by Laney.
Date
1972

픔념긔별젼

An embroidered depiction of the original building of the Chongkyo Methodist Church on silk. Chongkyo Methodist Church was built and founded by missionaries from the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, in Seoul, Korea, in the early 1900s and was part of the Seoul Circuit of the Korea Conference. The piece shows the original church building with a selection of Korean figures, men and women, approaching or walking by the church. A dedication is embroidered across the top of the work. The embroidery is done in traditional Korean style common towards the late Joseon dynasty (1392-1910) and includes intricate details, including the brickwork and roof tiles.
Date
1910 – 1913
Still image

Map of Core Art Pieces in the Hidden Legacies Digital Exhibition

A map of the locations of the three core pieces of art featured in the Spring 2024 digital exhibition, Hidden Legacies.
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Acknowledgements

This research has been made possible by the support and contributions of a number of individuals and organizations. Special thanks is given to the following, whose works, words, and time were generously given throughout this process.

Kyeong Ah Min, PhD (Artist, Printmaker; Website; Instagram; Blog)

Rev. Byoung-hyoun Choi (Myun-mok Central Methodist Church in Seoul)

Chongkyo Methodist Church

  • Rev. Dr. Changhee Jeon (Lead Pastor)
  • Rev. Seheon Choi (Assistant Pastor)
  • Rev. Seokwon Eum (Assistant Pastor)
  • Bongjin Lee (Lay Elder; Former Head of Chongkyo Methodist Church History Department)
  • Yookyum Kim (Lay Elder; Head of Chongkyo Methodist Church History Department)
  • Hyekyeong Park (Curator of Chongkyo Methodist Church History Department)

Thanks to Lay Elder Hyunki Shin and Lay Deacon Geonho Kim for the Chinese translations.

Thanks to Deokyoung Kim (Audio), Junhyeok Lee (Filming), and Hyojin Kim (Lighting) for their assistance during the filming of the interviews.

Thanks to Dr. Edward Phillips (Methodism) and Dr. Helen Jin Kim (Korean Christianity) for their academic guidance throughout the research process.

Thanks to Kate Underwood, MDiv '26, for editing the English translations of the original Korean content.

Lastly, thanks to the staff of Pitts Theology Library, specifically:

  • Ann McShane (collection photography)
  • Elizabeth Miller (exhibition tech support)
  • Dr. Richard "Bo" Adams (project inception and administrative support)

Select a legacy to explore:

Introducing a Legacy

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Interpreting a Legacy

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Revising a Legacy

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Bibliography

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