Time is Not Waiting For Us

Sun Wuk Kim began to learn the art of calligraphy and seal carving in 1964; his master was Cheolnong Yi Gi-woo, who carved the seals of two former presidents of Korea. The penname Hanong, which means "Cultivator of the Lotus," was bestowed upon him by the master." Kim has explored new territory in calligraphy, creating original works that interweave the historic repertoires of Chinese and Korean scripts with the aesthetics of the modern era.

In this scroll Kim transcribed a poem by Dao Yuanming (365-427), a famous Chinese Taoist poet whose fame has extended into Korea through the centuries. Kim here used a developed clerical script style, characterized by modulated brush lines with sweeping horizontal strokes ending in sharp tips, and distinctive down-sweep strokes to the right. The poem, originally entitled "A Miscellany," translates as follows:
This life of ours is but a rootless thing,
Swirling like dust above the roadways.
The winds drive us out in all directions;
Footing gone, we lose our bearings.
Since [all] men drop out of the womb they
become brethren:
Why bother if we are not of the same kin?
When our hearts are merry, let's all be gay,
And gather our neighbors to share a drink.
For youth, once gone, will no longer return,
Nor this same morn as the day closes.
Treasure every moment, then, before it slips by;
Mark, the passing years will wait for no man.
(Translated by Roland C. Fang)