Men’s references to women’s writing in vernacular Korean script never term this practice “calligraphy.” Yet articles of women’s intricate brushwork reveal that in late Chosŏn Korea (1392-1910) this was a highly aestheticized practice with recognized social importance and meticulous training processes.

This presentation historicizes the gendered logic of representation in male-authored historical archive to uncover the contours of women-centered vernacular aesthetic canon that assumed a status of prestige alongside male culture in literary Chinese. Unraveling the meaning of the term “calligraphy” when it is applied to women’s vernacular handwriting, I ponder on the connection between women’s bodily discipline, productive work, and exquisite vernacular brushwork, which opens an alternative perspective not only on the gender politics of the Chosŏn society, but also on the culture of the time, which is hitherto seen as dominated by male-centered literary Chinese canon.

About the Speaker:

Dr Ksenia Chizhova is a postdoctoral fellow at the ANU Korea Institute. She completed her PhD at Columbia University. Her areas of interest are the history of emotions, the history of the body, and women's culture in premodern Korea.

Contact:

ANU Korea Institute Program Coordinator, Orion Lethbridge

Phone: +61 2 6125 4661

Email: korea.institute@anu.edu.au