미인도 (A Beauty), 2023, Korean hemp (삼베), human hair, 114.2 x 45.7cm
Referencing the 18th century silk painting of a beautiful woman by Shin Yun-bok, this work on hemp is exactly the size and shape of the original. The Joseon dynasty painter was known for his images of the everyday, and according to art historians he depicted the daily lives of women as the main motif, which was unique in a period when women were not mentioned much in written documents. In RHEE’s minimalist strategy, the artist appropriates the image of Shin’s beautiful woman, but in fact it is the stark absence of the figure in the “hair painting” that points to the existence and contemplation of the role of women in historical Korean society. Like in Seven Sisters, the artist is pointing to the lack of representation of women from their own perspective. This new beautiful woman painting focuses attention to the hair, the large wig, called the Gache (가체), which has its roots in ancient times. During Joseon, Gache became ostentatious, and the motto became the bigger the better, with women wearing heavy wigs up to 4 kgs with accessories. Men trying to regulate womens’ bodies, is not new, and the King used his power to forbid the usage of Gache, because Gache apparently went against the Confucian way of austerity. Despite being banned, many women continued to wear the Gache. This work celebrates the act of resistance and women’s agency over their own bodies.