"Land" (Toji), the epic novel by Park Kyung-ni, one of Korea's most representative literary figures, has been newly published in a special edition featuring paintings by artist Chun Kyung-ja.
Publisher Dasan Books said Wednesday it is presenting the "Land" Chun Kyung-ja Edition to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Park Kyung-ni's birth. The two are known to have shared a special friendship during their lifetimes. Park wrote a poem for Chun, and Chun drew illustrations for Park's novels, each giving the other artistic inspiration.
"Land" is Park's masterpiece, which she began writing in 1969 and completed in 1994. It is a monumental work of Korean literature that spans 48 years from the end of the Joseon era to Korea's liberation in 1945, depicting the vast currents of humanity and history, life and destiny.
Dasan Books explained that this Chun Kyung-ja Edition carries the meaning of bringing together the worlds of two masters of modern and contemporary Korean art history — two women creators who overcame their times. The cover of each volume of "Land" features major works by Chun Kyung-ja, including "Solitude (Go)," "Twilight with Tango Flowing," and "22 Pages of My Sad Legend." The edition was designed so that the grand narrative of "Land," spanning 20 volumes, unfolds as a single visual flow. Chun's canvases, blending figures and landscapes, flowers and plants, and exotic scenes, visually embody the tragedy of life, the brilliance of vitality, and the strong inner worlds of the female characters that "Land" contains.
"This edition was planned around the shared emotions found in Park Kyung-ni's literature and Chun Kyung-ja's paintings," a Dasan Books official said. "Just as the characters of 'Land' ultimately go on living even while being crushed by their era and destiny, the figures in Chun Kyung-ja's paintings also exist while simultaneously holding sorrow and desire, anxiety and dignity."
The "Land" Chun Kyung-ja Edition raised 13 million won within three days of launching a crowdfunding campaign at Kyobo Book Centre last month, surpassing 900% of its target amount. The Dasan Books edition includes for the first time Park Kyung-ni's essay "The Years of Writing 'Land,'" conveying the reflections the author left after completing 26 years of writing.
