The sipjangsaeng (‘Ten Symbols of Longevity’) brings together the sun, moon, mountains, streams, bamboo, pine, turtles, cranes, deer, and the fabled herb of immortality. Near Sinseol-dong, I once came across a shop that specialized in mother-of-pearl pieces, selling them in a wide range of shapes, even cutting them to order. Because the sipjangsaeng motif has long been one of the most popular and widely used, it was easy to find the forms ready-made.
After gathering and arranging the elements, I applied the jacquard technique to create patterns and weave them into silk jacquard. While the patterns repeat, I heightened their symbolic resonance by introducing saekdong — a traditional device of rhythmically alternating colors. The palette combined six hues — pink, black, light green, yellow, sky blue, and silver - developed from the traditional five colors of the obangsaek. Unlike other patterns, this design grouped nine lines into a unit, repeated in all four directions. This makes the force stronger and creates flow, so it is a pattern that works more effectively in large spaces.
* Ten Symbols of Longevity
