Korean Conflict Series 1: “The Jeju Massacre,” The Wind of Peace
Halla Art Hall (Jeju Island, Korea)
The first of a three part series in Korea, the Cheju Island Peace Mask Workshop took place in the provincial capital of Cheju City in memory of the 1948 Cheju Massacre, also known as the The Cheju-do Civil War.
Among the many participants, members of The Bereaved Families of the Victims of the Cheju Massacre volunteered as Life Mask models.
At a meeting held during the four-day workshop, Tsuji Shinichi, professor of anthropology at Meiji Gakuen Univeristy (Tokyo) and a co-founder of The Sloth Club, spoke on the theme of “Peace Mask and Peace of Mind.”
Korean Conflict Series 2: “The Kwangju Uprising,”The Light of Peace
Bukku Cultural Center, Kwangju, Korea
The second workshop in a three part series in Korea, Kwangju was chosen due to the Kwangju Uprising against military rule that occurred in 1980.
During this revolt, hundreds of citizens were killed on the streets of the city and thousands were injured. The uprising is now considered one of the landmarks in establishing democracy in South Korea.
In tandem the with Peace Mask workshop and exhibition, a talk was given by Robert Kowalczyk (International Coordinator), a professor of communication at Kinki University, entitled “Restoring Community and Spirit in An Age of Pure Capitalism.”
Korean Conflict Series 3: “Comfort Women,”The Stream of Life and Peace
Chonginara Gallery, Seoul, Korea
The third Peace Mask workshop was held in the capital city of Seoul. Chosen for a variety of reasons, Seoul has a population of approximately twelve million people and lies within an hour’s drive of the border with North Korea.
An important part of the Seoul workshop was the making of peace masks of the women who were victimized by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Japanese occupation of Korea (1910~1945). These women, know by the Japanese forces as “Comfort Women” have tried in vain for many years to receive an apology and compensation from the Japanese Government.
