History
The Trans-Artist
Se Won Shin was a young innovative leader of a Korean religious foundation1) who retired to introduce a new way of art called Trans-Art, expressing 'Enlightenment and Awakening' based on his own experience.
Sewon was well known in his youth as a prodigious painter2) until he discontinued his art and majored in Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford University.3)
However, the unexpected and sudden passing of his father, who was the founder of the Hanol religion4) (the religious re-establishment of the Korean national founding principle based on the philosophy of Spiritual Enlightenment),1) eventually led him to return to art expressing 'Spiritual Enlightenment' based on his own experience.
Trans-Art (Trans-form art, Transcendental art, Trans-ego art) is a new form of art introduced by the Korean artist Sewon Shin.5)
Trans-Art is Art that transcends the conventional form of art in order to express and experience the formless 'essence of art' which shares one and the same nature with our ‘true essence beyond form’.
In Part 1 ‘Optical Awakening’, he integrates 'Spiritual-meditation into Art'.
In Part 2 ‘Tasting-Art’, he integrates 'Taste with Art'.
In Part 3 ‘Mobile Art’, he combines 'Technology with Art'.
Trans-Art Part 1 can be considered as an indirect experience of 'Spiritual Transcendence' by the 'visualization of Enlightenment and Awakening' in the form of Art.
In his major work, Part 1: the 'Optical Awakening series', the artist attempts to express the 'Enlightenment and Awakening' which is beyond 'Form', by using the multi-dimensional expression method that he acquired from his own experience of the 'enlightening and awakening' process.
Trans-Art provided a basis for the 1st and 2nd reformation of the Korean traditional religion Hanol-gyo.6)
Furthermore, Trans-Art served as a driving force of the ‘Hanol spiritual and cultural movement of Art’, a new way of participating in Hanol philosophy and its spiritual teachings without religious obligation. The Hanol spiritual movement of art - the integration of art and spirituality, can be considered as a revolutionary approach to religious innovation and spiritual evolution in the face of an intellectual and spiritual singularity.6)
1)
∙ Encyclopedia Britannica online Korea "Hanol-gyo"
∙ Encyclopedia of Korean Culture "Hanol-gyo"
∙ Doosan Encyclopedia "Hanol-gyo"
2)
∙ Art Focus : The art of Sewon Shin, a 17 year-old genius 『Monthly Art World』, August 1990 issue p.88-91
∙ 17 year-old Genius artist’s Solo exhibition grabs attention, The Success of Sewon Shin’s Solo exhibition at Kyungin Art Gallery 『Kukmin Ilbo』, August 22, 1990.
∙ High School Student Shin Displaying 50 Paintings 『Korea Times』, August 21, 1990.
∙ Art Exhibition by High-School Student, Solo Exhibition by Teen Age Painter Sewon Shin After 3year of Studying in the US 『JoongAng Ilbo』, August 22, 1990.
∙ Boy’s imaginative oil painting hit gallery row. Shin Se-won, attending high school in U.S. shows talent at Seoul exhibit 『Korea Herald』 Sunday, August 26, 1990.
∙ In Tokyo Debut Shin Se-won To Present Fantastic Paings 『Korea Times』, July 18, 1992.
∙ Shin's Art Beyond His Biological Age 『Art News』 p.126-146, August 1990 issue Volume 6.
∙ Teenage Artist Se won Shin Solo Exhibition in Japan 『Maeil Business Newspaper 』 July 13, 1992.
∙ 17year-old teenager makes his art debut-Se Won Shin's Solo exhibition at Kyung In Art Gallery 『Dong-a Ilbo』 August 17, 1990
3)
∙ The Art of Enlightenment & Awakening Official website
∙ Naver People Search "Shin Se-won"
∙ Wikipedia "Alumni of the University of Oxford"
4)
∙ Hanol-gyo official website "Shin Jeong Yil, the founder of Hanol-gyo"
∙ Shin Jeong Yil 『Doosan Encyclopedia』
∙ Shin Jeong Yil 『Encyclopedia of Korean Culture』
5)
∙ Art of Enlightenment and Awakening Official website "The Artist Career"
∙ Naver People Search "Shin Se-won"
∙ JoongAng Ilbo People Search "Shin Se-won"
∙ Chosun Ilbo People Search "Shin Se-won"
∙ Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Iraq in Seoul Official website
6)
∙ Revolutionary Integration of Art and Spirituality,Optical Awakening attracts attention as an evolution of religious art 『Kyunghyang daily』, August 5, 2017.
∙ Art expressing religious principle, Optical Awakening presents the essence of the truth through art 『The Korea Economic Daily』, August 6, 2017.
∙ Quantum Leap in religious sector by the integration of Art and Spirituality, The Trans-Artist introducing Optical Awakening- Hanol Spiritual movement of Art 『Hankyung TV』, August 7, 2017.
∙ New Religious Paradigm initiated by Art in Korea: Hanol Spiritual Movement of Art, Participating in Religion without religious obligation. 『SBS CNBC』, August 4, 2017.
∙ Hanol Spiritual movement of Art, Introducing Spiritual Evolution, Optical Awakening, reinterpretation of The Gates of Hell, an incomplete masterpiece by Rodin 『News 1』, August 6, 2017.
∙ “Awakening by Art” a new possibility of spiritual culture in the face of Intellectual Singularity.Korean Religion Evolves by Art, Hanol spiritual and Cultural movement of Art 『KNSNews』, August 5, 2017.
∙ Optical Awakening, a new spiritual culture stemming from the new form of spiritual art. 『Kuki News』, August 4, 2017.
∙ Evolution in Human Consciousness A Korean Religion Reform by Art 『Energy Economy』, August 4, 2017.
∙ A New paradigm in Religious culture, Hanol Spiritual and Cultural Movement of Art - Optical Awakening, Religious Innovation and Spiritual Evolution led by Art in Korea 『Daily Grid』, August 5, 2017.
All artworks & contents are published and reserved at the web archive.