Seokguram Grotto Series_Panels depicting carved figures from Seokguram Grotto

In the 1960s, the artist created a series embroidered panels depicting the carved-stone bodhisattvas and guardian figures that accompany the main Buddha figure at Seokguram Grotto (石窟庵). Constructed during the reign of King Gyeongdeok (r. 742-765), Seokguram is an artificial cave grotto built in the hills above Bulguk temple (佛國寺) near Gyeongju in Korea. Seokguram is considered to be one of Korea’s greatest artistic masterpieces. The concept fro this embroidery project arose from the artist’s desire to meet the challenge of translating Seokguram’s monumental carved granite images into the soft textile medium, while her study of trompel’oeil mural paintings by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770) in Venice inspired her to experiment with creating the illusion of three-dimensionality on a two-dimensional plane. For this project the artist used silk fabric woven with the thunderline motif, one of East Asia’s most ancient designs. The artist first painted the pattern areas on the ground fabric, then embroidered the figures in long satin stitches using gradations of color ranging from gray to copper and an innovative method of twisting the threads. The result fully captures the majesty and well as the lively sense of movement embodied by the original stone carvings.