By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Myrtle Iris Villaraza from the Philippines
Photos = Ayala Museum ArtistSpace

The Korean spring seems to have reached the Philippines, as Mi-Kyoung Back, an award-winning pressed flower artist from Korea, has held an exhibition in Manila. The event, titled “Flower Feast,” was her 18th solo exhibition and it ran from April 14 to 29 at the Ayala Museum ArtistSpace in the neighborhood of Makati in Manila.

“Flower Feast” showcases 25 of Back’s artworks with the themes of still life, the spring, fall, and winter, and the coexistence between humans and nature. Several pressed flower accessories and ornaments were also on display during the event. All art pieces were created with real flowers and plants, such as roses, sunflowers, peonies, hydrangeas, lace flowers, margarets, lavender flowers, ramie leaves, herbs and more. Back had decided to hold her 18th solo exhibition in the Philippines since her daughter-in-law is Philippine, and she wanted to share her flower art in Manila and the Philippines.

For Back, pressed flower art makes her happy and brings a smile to her face. She believes that it also has the power to calm people’s minds. She thinks of those in the cities, where living in high buildings has in some way made people feel lonely due to a lack of connection and communication, even between neighbors. “I hope that my work can give a piece of comfort and mental healing to those loners,” said Back, as quoted by Ayala Museum ArtistSpace.

I went to the exhibit and was really amazed by all the art pieces. I could only imagine the time, effort and love that Back had put into every work of art. Each delicate petal, each tiny leaf, each raw material used was treated with the utmost care and put together to create beautiful masterpieces that fill one’s heart with joy and wonder.





Back has been creating pressed flower art for more than 20 years. In 2014, she was named the first pressed flower master of the Federation of Artistic and Cultural Organizations of Korea. She is a recipient of several awards, including a grand prize in the Korea Modern Art Association's Pressed Flower Competition in 2006, and a Korean Culture and Management award in the artist section in 2016. She has also offered pressed flower art classes in various institutions and schools across Korea.

Back owns an arts and crafts company, BackHyang Pressed Flower Gallery. Among the events she has joined was the October 2016 Manila FAME, an international trade show in the Philippines featuring artisanal home, lifestyle and fashion pieces. It was her first exhibition in the Philippines. It was also where I had the privilege of meeting her, her son Collin who is also the director of her company, and their staff. Even though our meeting was short, I was touched by their warmth and kindness. Their bright and good-natured personalities seemed to really match their bright pressed flower art pieces. The moment I saw their works of art, I already became a fan. After meeting them in person, I supported them even more.

After joining the Manila FAME, the BackHyang Pressed Flower Gallery also started selling pressed flower accessories in the Philippines. Their items are currently available at the store Bijou in the Filipino Zone of Greenbelt 5 in the neighborhood of Makati.

At her April 2018 exhibit in Manila, I learned that Back also wants to promote pressed flower-making as a form of cultural exchange with the Philippines. Moreover, she dreams of creating pressed flower works of art using Philippine flowers. I'm sure that many Filipinos like me would love this idea. Hopefully, we will soon get to see beautiful and timeless pressed flower artworks made with common blossoms in the Philippines, such as the Arabian jasmine, ixora and hibiscus. I also hope that the art of pressing flowers will become known in the Philippines, and more Filipinos would find happiness and peace in seeing and creating pressed flower artworks, just how Back’s masterpieces make the world much brighter and more colorful, not just for her, but for everyone who appreciates her art, as well.

To learn know more about artist Mi-Kyoung Back, her works, and her company, BackHyang Pressed Flower Gallery, you can check out the December 2016 article on the Korea Blog. You can also visit BackHyang Pressed Flower Gallery’s SNS accounts: www.facebook.com/gallerybh, www.instagram.com/pressedflower_gallery.

wisdom117@korea.kr

* This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.