2025. 40.9 x 31.8 cm(6F)
Acrylic on wood panel
Soonsim dressed in a traditional Korean first birthday outfit with a headband.
Dolbok is a traditional outfit worn on a child's first birthday after birth, symbolizing wishes for a happy and long life.
In the past, mothers would lovingly sew hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) for their child's first birthday, often crafting rainbow-striped sleeves (saekdong) by hand, with heartfelt prayers for the child’s health and longevity. The use of saekdong in children’s clothing was believed to ward off evil spirits and convey blessings of good fortune and long life. Hanbok and accessories were often embroidered or decorated with gold leaf designs featuring auspicious characters, plants, or animals.
On their first birthday, girls wore a saekdong jeogori (a jacket with rainbow-striped sleeves) and adorned their heads with a decorative gulle or jobawi (traditional headgear).
Gold leaf designs featuring the Chinese character for "blessing" (bok) were applied to the neckband of the jeogori and the strings of the gulle.
Gold leaf designs featuring the Chinese character for "blessing" (bok) were applied to the neckband of the jeogori and the strings of the gulle.
The model of this painting is an existing stray cat living in my neighborhood.
Picture Model: My neighborhood stray cat "Soonsim"
