Mountains and islands
Mountains and islands
Ottchil (Korean lacquer), Hemp cloth on wood
122x162cm
2026
Saekdong is a traditional Korean pattern and design of multi-colored stripes. In Korean, saek means color and dong refers to one stripe or block, so saekdong literally means “stripes of colors.” Mountains and Islands borrows this concept of saekdong to combine individual colored stripes to construct a whole. This reflects the concept from the Avatamsaka Sutra that “each part of a whole contains the whole, and the whole is present in every part,” pointing to the cyclical wonders of nature.
Rimm works with paintbrushes and lacquer spatulas to arrange saekdong in a harmonious array, and at times, she intentionally blurs the boundaries between colors. Depending on the viscosity of ottchil (Korean lacquer) and the speed at which she smudges lacquer paint, the blurring of the borders generates a vibrant sense of rhythm. The boundaries formed by adjoining colors and the disappearance of these boundaries present variations of different colors and textures. This pictorial effect implies a robust sense of temporality and alludes to the energy of nature and its ceaseless creation and extinction.
The repetition and layering of colors makes us confront philosophical notions on the natural circulation of life and death, while also guiding us to experience moments where artistic media and meditation converge. Ultimately, the Mountains and Islands series that gives physical form to ottchil and layers lines and colors demonstrates the potential for landscapes to be expanded. This is the exact moment when mountains become islands and islands become mountains.
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