" Sunrise over Seoul "
Kung po Pojagi

Korean women of the Chôson dynasty (1392-1910) were subjected to severe restrictions in all aspects of daily life. According to the predominate Korean belief system of the time, Neo-Confucianism, everything has its own hierarchical position in the universe where it maintains a certain harmonious relationship with other beings. The most important human relationships were defined as the three netropes or samgang: loyalty to the ruler, filial piety, and subordination to the husband. Of these three principles, the last concerned women most directly, subjecting women to absolute obedience and submergence of the self to men as dictated by the moral ethics called the principle of three obediences , somjongji ui: obedience to her father, to her husband, and to her son after the death of her husband. Under these principles it was almost unthinkable for women to do anything other than her essential duties as wife and mother of a household.

In day-to-day life, the actual physical area of a woman’s activity was nearly confined to her home, especially to the inner court of the household. According to the code of ethics between men and women, a woman was not suppose to see men other than her own immediate family members, it dictated that a woman stay in the inner court or more specifically in her own room; her life was to be lived entirely within the confines of the family home. Without the permission of her husband, she was not allowed to go out of the house. When she went out she had to ride in a covered palaquin in order not to be seen by other men. Regardless of class, women were required to cover their faces. Under no circumstances were they given formal education. One of the few tasks deemed acceptable, other than taking care of men, was ch’imson, or needlecraft.

Women of the Choson dynasty were said to have seven close companions: a ruler, a pair of scissors, a needle, thread, thimble, a triangle, and a iron. Not allowed to be visible in public many Korean women poured their creative energy into socially acceptable forms like sewing and embroidery and allowed their work to speak for them. Small pieces of cloth in different colors were used to make stunning patchwork pojagi, or wrapping cloths, especially for the palace (kung po). They created two-dimensional abstract designs of breath taking beauty that transcended rigid Confucian ethos and spoke volumes from voices that otherwise could not be heard..

This piece was made in and of the spirit of the women of the Choson dynasty. Reminescent of Choson pojagi, using small pieces of silk satin brocade to intricately create a patchwork of balancing and contrasting colors to produce a piece that might symbolize ,if only a fragment of, the inner beauty of gifted women who were invisible. (72in x 72in)