
“Arirang,” Korea’s most well-known folk song, has evolved over 600 years into thousands of variations, with lyrics reflecting themes of sorrow, separation, wish for reunion, and lost love. While it originally dealt with the story of two separated lovers, it had greater cultural resonance as an anthem of unity through the division of North and South Korea. It became an expression of longing for harmony for Koreans both home and abroad. In my work, I use three swirls of red, blue, and yellow to represent heaven, earth, and humanity respectively. These three swirls emphasize the “unity of Heaven and Humanity.”