The Snow Dance of the Red Crowned Crane
Ink and Colour on Hanji and Silk Scroll 86″x 40″ Emily Carr University.
(Korean Mulberry Paper) 2025
The red crowned cranes are a symbol of longevity in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese paintings. But, due to the continued destruction of the red crowned cranes’ habitat, they are now an endangered species.
Ironically, because of the lack of human activity in the Korean demilitarized zone, the DMZ has been unaffected by the previously mentioned wetland destruction. So, when the red crowned cranes migrate south for the winter, this heavily contested, man made, and militarily enforced border has become integral for their migration pattern.
I painted this scene, one where I imagined the cranes dancing, relishing in their escape from the weight of humanity’s cruelty. We simultaneously treasure red crowned cranes for what meaning we subscribe to their likeliness, all the while the sole perpetrator in the active destruction of their homes and population.
Inscription: 丹頂鶴的雪舞
