Q What is the most memorable advice you had during the screening of this award?

I remember the words agreeing that Buddhism is not a religion but a culture. I was motivated to win the award and made my product well to reach out to more people. I improved the part that would help people’s understanding of the product through consulting. I added a separate card to explain each Buddhist painting and its meaning. For example, the card explains what painting the sketch is related to and who the painting’s character is. Also, for market expandability, I targeted the entire Korea beyond Chungcheongbuk-do.

Q Please tell us more about your plans.

COVID-19 made it difficult to travel abroad, but I think it is an opportunity to discover Korea’s local culture. Soon, I will introduce the celadon version of Sumaksae Gonggitdol, which entered the finished product category, in collaboration with the celadon workshop in Gangjin, Jeollanam-do. I will continue developing cultural products using local resources, aiming to win the next year’s award.

Q Please tell us about Dalbee.

It is a one-person enterprise that designs Korean cultural heritage in a modern style. It expands its product range to introduce Korean culture’s unique beauty with the theme of Korean cultural heritage.

Q How did you become interested in Buddhist culture?

Actually, I don’t have a religion. I majored in Oriental Painting. I was fascinated by the quiet temples and plum blossoms, and I became interested in Buddhist culture. In 2018, when I heard that Korean temples were registered in the UNESCO World Heritage List under the name of Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in Korea, I was lost in thought. “Many tourists line up early in the morning to view the murals of the cathedral on their European trip, but aren’t they really not interested in our cultural heritage?” I wanted to create something that would attract people, so I started planning an article that contained Buddhist culture.

Q Why did you use Buddhist paintings as your theme?

As I researched Buddhist culture, I learned that 60% of Korean tangible cultural properties are related to Buddhist culture. Most people, including me, are not aware of this. When I asked myself what was needed to understand Buddhist culture, religious painting came to my mind. Religious paintings were created for the illiterate public. I thought that Buddhist paintings could reach out to people who are unfamiliar with Buddhist culture.