Winter of Myeongjae House
2016
Myeongjae House, located in Nonsan city, Chungcheongnam-do, was built during the lifetime of Myeongjae Yoon Jeung (1709) and is a typical noble house in the Hoseo region in the mid-Joseon Dynasty. I wanted to record the snowy old house, so I checked the weather in Noseong-myeon, Chungcheongnam-do, every Friday during that winter. I was ready to leave immediately when there was heavy snow on weekends.
Usually, it took two hours to get there, but it took almost twice as long due to the frozen road. The longer I spent on the road, the more frustrating I felt. But the pouring snow elevated my expectation to see the beautiful old house more than ever. As expected, more snow was piled up in Myeongjae House. Watching the snow falling down on a small old house, the fatigue from driving for a long night disappeared.
With the kindness of Yoon Wan-sik, the 12th eldest grandson of Papyeong Yoon family, who still lives in the old house, I was able to take pictures inside the old house. In particular, the snowy outdoor faucet near Haengrangchae was the biggest harvest of that winter. Snow piled up on an ordinary tap that could be seen anywhere, so the picture looks like a still life painting painted with black ink and brush. At first glance, the picture seems simple, but it is a beauty that could not be created without the profound experiences of life. I must have longed for such a traditional beauty unconsciously. Somehow, I feel warm as if I came back to my hometown where I lived as a child.
169. Tiles piled up under the wall | 2016 
178. The window of the Sarangbang where the morning sunlight enters | 2016
184. Scenery inside Numaru, veranda of the house | 2016 
186. Winter scenery of Sarangchae | 2016 
187. Winter scenery of Myeongjae House | 2016 