Han Sungpil's "Frozen Fire" Turns Charred Forests into Hanji Prints
The "Frozen Fire" series by Han Sungpil captures the devastation of burned forests in the Canadian Rockies, utilizing Hanji, a traditional Korean paper. The Calgary-based artist first witnessed the destruction in May 2021 at Waterton Lakes National Park, where the Kenow wildfire of 2017 ravaged approximately 40 percent of the area. Inspired by the contrast of snowfall on charred trees, Sungpil reflects on yeobaek and Eastern philosophies of transience. The collection features photographs from locations such as Banff National Park, Jasper National Park, and the North Saskatchewan River. After relocating to Canada in March 2020, he often hiked for seven to nine hours in temperatures dropping below -30 Celsius. His choice of Hanji symbolizes the connection to the devastated landscapes. This work was highlighted in Lenscratch's Tree Week series by Sarah Hood Salomon.
Key facts
- Han Sungpil's "Frozen Fire" series depicts wildfire-charred forests in the Canadian Rockies printed on Hanji, a traditional Korean paper
- Sungpil encountered the ecological scars at Waterton Lakes National Park in May 2021
- The 2017 Kenow wildfire began in British Columbia, burned about 40 percent of Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta and spread into Glacier National Park in Montana
- Sungpil moved to Canada in March 2020 and the border closed the day after his arrival due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Temperatures in the Canadian Rockies sometimes dropped below -30 Celsius during shooting
- Shooting trips lasted two days and one night or three days and two nights, with hikes of seven to nine hours to backcountry huts and lodges
- Hanji is made by stripping paper mulberry bark, boiling, beating, mixing in water and scooping layer by layer
- The feature was published in Lenscratch's Tree Week series by Sarah Hood Salomon
Entities
Artists
- Han Sungpil
- Sarah Hood Salomon
Institutions
- Lenscratch
- Waterton Lakes National Park
- Glacier National Park
- Banff National Park
- Jasper National Park
- Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge
Locations
- Korea
- Canada
- Calgary
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- Montana
- United States
- Waterton Lakes National Park
- Glacier National Park
- Banff National Park
- Jasper National Park
- North Saskatchewan River
- Grisette Mountain
- Mount Dromore
- Chetamon Mountain
- Athabasca Pass
- The Whistlers
- Trident Range
- Marmot Mountain
- Roche Bonnehomme
- Colin Range
- Canadian Rockies