Seon is an artist from South Korea who has transformed what can be common in our everyday lives into a form of art. Having lived away from Korea for decades, she has a diverse and multicultural background. Consequently, she began to question life and her identity.
The term 'Sirubean' is a symbolic language that expresses Seon's life in Korea as a child and her life abroad as an adult. It was inspired by the growth process of 'bean sprouts' she observed during her childhood. The “Shirubean” series reflects curiosity. 'Siru' has been part of Korean culture for a long time and embodies the simple emotions and spirit of Koreans. Siru pot is a traditional earthenware used in Korea to grow bean sprouts or make rice cakes. The old and unsophisticated earthen clay pot that holds growing bean sprouts is something that Seon identified with as a child. The pot was a central symbol of her childhood and holds great meaning to Seon. It remains a relic of those times and memories.
The beans are cultivated in a small space, each tiny, weaving stem struggling, and gathering, pushing against one another to grow. A certain magical energy is felt as the yellow beans
burst from their skins in the final stage of growth, just like the rising sun. Seon feels that this humble process represents human life and the struggles we experience as we grow. “Shirubean” is symbolic of her identity of all the memories and emotions that sprouted and strive in Seon’s heart.