Dragon: His Fascination for the Legendary, Mythical Creature Embedded in Gold
As an artist that’s inquisitive and passionate by nature, Kim Il Tae has always been curious about dragons. Having a strong appreciation for Oriental art, he loved to learn about and draw dragons, ever since he was a young child. It later went on to become one of the most important elements in his artistic development and masterpieces.
In Korean and Chinese imperial history, only the emperors are allowed to have dragons on their clothes, objects at home, or on their personal items. Dragons are linked to good fortune, power and are considered the highest-ranking in the animal hierarchy. Dragons are believed to have control over the skies, or specifically, the ability to control rain, an important element in ancient days, for it determined the livelihood of the people who are mainly in agriculture.
It is no wonder that Kim Il Tae ever so desired to have dragons embedded in his gold paintings, as these two–the 24k gold and dragons are considered eternal elements of preciousness and symbol of fortune and wealth. The combination of these is so powerful that it is believed to bring good fengshui to anyone who owns it.
His paintings portray the dragons in the richest hues of the gleaming 24K gold, breathing life into the immortal creatures making them distinctively spirited. His skilful etches and techniques in a sketchy style makes the dragon imprints on the canvas utterly captivating, an imagery one could not forget. You could almost feel the passion poured into the works of mastery when you touch it.
‘Dragons opened up my eyes to another world, one that’s imaginary and mysterious, so when I paint it, it’s like I am invited to explore a whole new world as well,’ Kim Il Tae describes.
Source: Wikipedia and Britannica.com