A Study on Cheongnam Oh Jebong’s Calligraphic Beauty of the Buddhist Mind

This paper is a study on the calligraphy art of Cheongnam Oh Jebong (1908-1991), who was born in Geumneung-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do in the modern enlightenment period, worked as a calligrapher in Busan, and passed away at the age of 83 in 1991. We can understand an artist's artistic spirit and works through his worldview and values ​​formed through the historical and humanistic environment in which he lived. Oh Jebong became a monk at Hongjeam in Haeinsa Temple at the age of 15, completed a Buddhist course, and lived as a monk for 37 years as a monk well-versed in Buddhist doctrine and scriptures. In this paper, I tried to reveal that he practiced the profound principles of Buddhism artistically and created his unique calligraphy style. Cheongnam became the chief priest of Uigoksa Temple in Jinju in 1937 and served for 22 years, forming a broad and deep relationship with artists from various fields and interacting with them. After liberation, he returned to secular life and worked as a calligrapher in Busan. Busan was a wasteland for calligraphy, but he left behind many works with the assistance of ophthalmologist Unyeo Kim Gwang-eop(1906-1976). Cheongnam's world of calligraphy began with his efforts to study the calligraphy books of Zen masters and famous calligraphers, and his Zen cultivation and sincere aesthetic sense formed his unique calligraphy style. Therefore, the aesthetic ideal of Cheongnam's calligraphy is far from beauty or ingenuity. Many of his works remain, such as Buddhist scriptures, hanging boards, signboards on columns, and poems that embody the Buddhist mind. The calligraphy of his masterpiece, the stone-carved <Taejongdae(太宗臺)>, reflects the spirit of the moderate Way between extremes rather than being strong or soft. He embodied his simple and unique religious worldview in his works. I compared and examined Cheongnam's <Taejongdae> with Chusa Kim Jeonghui's <Panjeon(板殿)> of Bongeunsa Temple. These two works are Zen calligraphy that embody the Buddhist mind. Their styles are different, but the dignities they have achieved are similar. They established the realm of not considering ingenuity and clumsiness and that the great skill seems clumsy. They have established a divine and profound realm of refined simplicity with an artistic spirit of unworldliness. Cheongnam's <Taejongdae>, a work done when he was 67, was described as a comfortable and calm beauty that is amicable and unrestrained. On the other hand, Chusa's <Panjeon>, a work done when he was 71, was described as an elegant and spiritual beauty that is natural and naive. Cheongnam combined the principles of Buddhism and calligraphy with the wisdom of Buddha's concept of emptiness. The fact that he established an amicable and unrestrained calligraphy style has significant implications for modern society, which is rife with conflict and confrontation.