The name Sayuhwasil, written 思惟畫室, comes from the Buddhist idea of sayu, or deep contemplation.

I see painting as more than a form of expression. It is a practice, and I value the time it gives us to focus entirely on ourselves. I chose the name Sayuhwasil because I wanted it to mean a studio for looking inward and thinking deeply.

My father is a Korean painting artist, so I grew up close to painting quite naturally, and eventually chose Korean painting as my major.

In particular, Korean traditional color painting depends on building color slowly, layer by layer. Through that process, not only does the painting become more complete, but I often feel more grounded as well. That way of working suits me, so I have continued to focus on traditional color painting.

Rather than making paintings that are forceful or immediately eye-catching, I aim for works that settle naturally into a room, almost like wallpaper.

I work with the hope that a painting can live quietly within everyday life, staying with people for a long time rather than constantly demanding their attention.

I began sharing outline drawings — the preparatory templates artists use as a base for their compositions — because I wanted to help people who were interested in Korean traditional color painting but felt unsure or lacked materials. Many templates sold today are based on old paintings, but as an extension of my own work, I wanted to share drawings that are not easy to come across.

I also wanted more people to work alongside one another as equals, beyond the usual student-and-teacher relationship.

When I first imagined Sayuhwasil, the most important thing was warmth.

I wanted people to feel at ease even on their first visit, as if the room were welcoming them like a place they had known for a long time. Rather than making an overly decorated space, I wanted an atmosphere where plants and objects could sit naturally together and people could stay comfortably.

Before I moved the studio, one of my students was working on restoring and producing old wallpaper. I remember it was still in the early stages as a business, but through our conversations I got to hear firsthand why the wallpaper was being restored and how it was being made.

Once I understood the process and the meaning behind the work, I saw the wallpaper differently. It felt like one of the elements my studio truly needed. I wanted visitors to feel the space was familiar rather than strange, and the wallpaper fit that intention so naturally that I decided to use it.

After the wallpaper was installed, the response I heard most often was that it suited the studio beautifully.

Many people also said the space felt more refined. Since warmth was what I had hoped for from the beginning, I felt that the overall harmony of the room matched the direction I had intended.

I did not install wallpaper in the area where I paint. Instead, I used it in the space where works are hung and arranged. I call that room Sodamsil, meaning a small room made for quiet conversation.

A patterned wallpaper could easily feel too decorative, but this one adds a sense of an earlier time in a natural way and sits well with the artworks. As a result, it helps the paintings stand out more clearly within the space.

Perhaps because the people who visit the studio often share a similar sensibility, people of all ages tend to enjoy the space.

Many people especially say that choosing restored wallpaper feels thoughtful and tasteful, and I often hear that the paintings and the mood of the room come together in an elegant way.

Sayuhwasil is planning to move into a larger space.

When we move, I plan to extend the wallpaper beyond the current Sodamsil area and use it in both Sodamsil and the studio’s retail corner.

For both artwork and space, atmosphere matters most to me. Wallpaper deepens that atmosphere and increases the synergy with the paintings. I hope to expand the studio further in that direction.