Desert

In this scroll, calligrapher Sun Wuk Kim transcribes a poem by Yim Yeongjo (1943–2003). Kim uses uneven ink tonalities and dry brushstrokes as metaphorical renditions of a journey through the desert mentioned in the poem. The wiggly hangeul (Korean script) characters, the whispery "flying white" brushstrokes, and the split composition convey the difficulty of traveling on a wind-scoured desert trail.

Sun Wuk Kim learned the art of calligraphy and seal carving beginning in 1964 from eminent calligraphy master Cheolnong Yi Gi-woo, who carved the seals of two former presidents of Korea. The penname Hanong, or "Cultivator of the Lotus," was bestowed upon Kim by his master. While accomplished in and knowledgeable about the historic repertories of Chinese and Korean scripts, Kim has been an explorer of new modes of expression that resonate the aesthetics and other aspects of life in the twentieth century. He has dedicated his life to the challenge of modernizing the art of calligraphy.

Desert 3: On the Camel's Road
By Yim Yeongjo
The road for the camel was a desert
Life for the most part is like imprinting footsteps on a dry field
I ran fruitlessly, it was desert again
Once in a while a pile of thorn bushes in my hand
I chewed on tough ginkgo nuts for a long time like a laborer who in his bitter life ruminates on the blood brimming inside his mouth
The morsel of rice was hard and gritty
With heavy packs on my back, I walked all my life, my gaze fixed ahead
When the sandstorm would go wild,
I frequently blinked my long-lashed eyes
Even after the end of spring the yellow sand would not stop
Only suspicious rumors everywhere
The long-awaited master did not return
The humps on the camel's back become a grave when walking on a pathless road
The endless desert road
The camel who believes only in this road is bearing its grave on its back