Pillars of Joseon

PATARAWAN BOONYUBOL

patarawanboonyubol@gmail.com / www.fondboonyubol.com

“Pillars of Joseon” is a mixed-media papercraft sculpture that reflects the ideals projected in the Irworobongdo (a screen-painting that stood behind the thrones of Joseon Kings), with Korean Pop Culture interpreted as these now realised ideals. From idols topping Billboard charts to world famous drama series, the rise and influence of K-pop has taken the world by storm, as audiences and fans are swept up by the idealistic and perfect world that is presented through the Hallyu (Korean Wave). 

By peeling back layers of this phenomenon, this project presents the blinding success as well the unseen “other side” of K-pop that is not often known nor seen by the public eye: the hours and hours of training that goes on behind the scenes to an idol’s journey to debut, an idol’s endurance of the complete invasion and disregard for privacy from “sasaeng” to the harsh beauty standards that not only are idols subjected to, but also your average citizen. As a K-pop fan myself, this is not only a passion project where I want to show my admiration for these idols, but also to shed light on the blindspots that are often cast in the shadow of K-pop’s success.