Artist Tak Young-hwan Brings Traditional Ink to Life in Musical 'Arang'
Creatrip Team
7 months ago
Artist Tak Young-hwan created the moving ink-wash projections for the new musical "Arang," adapting classic Korean ink techniques into digital, animated stage backdrops. Inspired by the Joseon-era painting "Mongyudowondo" (Dream Journey to the Peach Blossom Land), Tak hand-painted 15 landscape scenes on hanji (Korean mulberry paper) and then layered and composited them digitally to give depth on stage. His work uses visual symbols — the sun for the king’s obsession and the moon for the lovers Arang and Domi — and textures like ottchil hanji (lacquered hanji) to convey atmosphere and emotion. Tak emphasized sourcing traditional Korean materials and avoiding Chinese or Japanese stylistic cues to honor the story’s Korean roots. The collaboration aimed to make the utopian dreamscape feel both otherworldly and authentically ink-based, with standout moments including a warm winter scene after the lovers’ reunion and a sandstorm prologue that expresses the king’s inner fear.
