The exhibition “Tarshito falls in love with Korea” dedicated to Italian artist Tarshito, organised by the Italian Cultural Institute, opened at the Gallery of the Cultural Foundation of the Metropolitan Council of Seoul. The exhibition displays works that the Apulian artist painted in Korea last autumn together with Korean artist Soe Oe Ja, drawing inspiration from local traditional art. On display is also the roll of hemp on which the artist collected drawings of the destinations along his journey. Korea is the last stop in Tarshito’s artistic journey across several countries around the world which are ideally linked up through a long roll whose sections were drawn respecting the elements, colours and materials characteristic of every country. Every one of Tarshito’s exhibitions always includes paintings inspired by the traditional art of the country he is visiting. The geography outlined in this process is that of a united planet, whose boundaries are not impassable, and a way of simply representing the world with different shapes and colours. The essential elements in Tarshito’s aesthetics are geographical maps, animals, flowers, and simple ancient objects. In the Seoul exhibition, the artwork pays tribute to the mountains so dear to Korea’s artistic tradition, and to ceramic jars, persistently present across the centuries through different Korean dynasties. The moral goal of the artist’s journey is to attempt to unite, in an ideal and deep landscape, the diversities that normally tend to divide peoples. Another important aspect of his work is the brotherhood with local artists. In every country visited, Tarshito succeeded to work with local artists, overcoming all language and cultural barriers and creating works that synthesizie the elements and objects drawn from the popular culture. In this case, Tarshito closely collaborated with Korean artist Soe Oe Ja, performing their teamwork at the monastery of the Bomunsa Temple of Seoul, a place of peace and meditation that inspired the two artists.
