For 23-year-old university student Jeon Eun-seul, dressing up as a museum artifact for the National Museum of Korea's annual costume contest was her "last chance" for a memorable final chapter of her senior year. Then, she won.
"Let's become a carp," Jeon thought to herself as she put on the blue makeup, she said in an interview with The Korea Herald on Saturday. "I thought, 'I can show everything about myself with courage, in front of anyone.'"
After advancing through the preliminary rounds, Jeon traveled from Daegu early Saturday to the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan, central Seoul. Upon arrival, she painted herself blue and put on a handmade costume to transform into the White Porcelain Carp-Shaped Water Dropper Painted in Underglaze Cobalt Blue, an artifact from the late Joseon era (1392-1910).
"I really like characters that are unique and fun, like Patrick Star from 'SpongeBob SquarePants,'" Jeon said, explaining her choice of artifact. "This artifact came to me with that charm."
Jeon dreams of becoming a nurse and said she had been feeling nervous about entering the job market. The costume contest, however, allowed her to make a fun memory before graduation. She was particularly pleased to see the audience respond to her costume and performance.
Jeon hoped to convey the artifact's symbolism of fertility and abundance, and send a positive message to the audience. When she took to the red carpet, she laid with her back on the floor with her feet raised together to create the swimming carp, imitating the shape and movement of the porcelain artifact as if it had come to life.
The National Museum of Korea held the finals of its nationwide artifact costume contest Saturday, featuring 25 finalists appearing as artifacts from different periods and regions of Korean history.
Participants traveled from across the country, carrying homemade costumes inspired by Korean artifacts, some measuring more than 2 meters tall. Each finalist or team took turns on the red carpet runway, performing to music prepared for their presentations.
Now in its third year, the contest expanded into a nationwide festival for the first time, attracting 643 participants in 275 teams. Of those, only 50 teams advanced to regional preliminary rounds held at four affiliated national museums, in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, Gongju, South Chungcheong Province, Daegu and Jeonju, North Jeolla Province.
The contest has grown into a gathering of men and women spanning generations, nationalities and backgrounds, from amateurs looking to make memories with friends and family to professionals showcasing their skills and passion for Korean cultural heritage.
Park Do-hyun, 34, better known for his cosplay alias "Cpt. Spiderman," focused on the Buddhist influence on the Three Kingdoms period of Korea through the iconic Pensive Bodhisattva sculpture displayed at the national museum.
"For the look, I wanted to capture the Pensive Bodhisattva as it is," Park said. "I used gold as the key color and mixed black and brown to give the real look. I wore white mesh lenses to conceal my pupils to express the eyes of the Buddha looking down upon this world and gazing at all sentient beings."
"In Buddhism, they say that anyone can become a Buddha if they set their mind to it. So, I thought that I should carry the Buddha in my heart as I worked on the costume," he added.
More than 2,000 people registered in advance to attend and witness the event, which some fans have taken to calling the "Korean Met Gala."
The festival drew visitors of all ages, with children in particular amused to see familiar museum pieces take on new forms through contestants' witty and vibrant performances.
"My favorite was that extremely fancy Buddha," said 13-year-old Lee Ruk, who came to the contest with his grandmother after watching last year's on YouTube. "It's lavish, and I wonder how he made that costume."
"After seeing my peers walking down the red carpet, I thought maybe I could do it too," said 9-year-old Park Yoon-a, who described herself as a fan of museums.
mjcha@heraldcorp.com
