Hanbok Series | Transformation, Comfort Women, Harmony – Art by Jaclyn Bae

Hanbok Series — Transformation, Memory, and Harmony

Contemporary Hanbok artworks exploring cultural identity, trauma, resilience, and harmony.
Artist: Jaclyn Bae

1. Transformation

From a Western linen shirt to a reimagined Korean Hanbok.

Transformation reinterprets the cultural symbolism of the traditional Hanbok. This piece is handcrafted from a white linen shirt once worn by the artist’s husband — a Western garment reshaped into a Korean silhouette. Bible verses were inscribed onto the jeogori, echoing the artist’s personal transition from Buddhism to Christianity.

The work becomes a metaphor for identity, heritage, and inner transformation — bridging two cultures, two beliefs, and two versions of self.

Transformation Hanbok artwork by Jaclyn Bae made from a white linen shirt Handmade paper Hanbok created from linen shirt by artist Jaclyn Bae

Material: Handmade paper from linen shirt

2. Comfort Women

A remembrance of the girls who lost their childhood.

This Hanbok confronts the tragic history of the Korean Comfort Women, created from coarse hemp — a material traditionally associated with funerals and hardship in Korean culture. The garment is burned, cut, distressed, and stitched to symbolize violence, rupture, and survival.

The artist photographed her fourteen-year-old daughter wearing the Hanbok — the same age as many victims — underscoring the proximity of history and the fragility of innocence.

Hemp Hanbok artwork representing Korean Comfort Women by Jaclyn Bae Hemp Hanbok representing trauma and resilience — by Jaclyn Bae

Material: Hemp fabric

3. Harmony I

East meets West, old meets new — harmony in modern life.

Harmony is constructed from denim worn by the artist’s own family. By merging the softness of Korean silhouettes with the casual texture of Western denim, the work symbolizes cultural blending, generational connection, and personal history.

Related Work

Explore another series by Jaclyn Bae:

© Jaclyn Bae 2025 · All rights reserved

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