By Honorary Reporter Oshini Jayamuni From Sri Lanka

Illustrations = Maria Zlatareva

Among the 3,658 entries in the illustration category "Traditional Culture In Korea" of this year's Talk Talk Korea contest sponsored by the Korean Culture and Information Service, Maria Zlatareva of the U.K. earned the grand prize for her work "A Journey to Tradition." 

"A Journey to Tradition" by Maria Zlatareva incorporates several key elements of traditional Korean culture.

Born in Bulgaria, Zlatareva immigrated to the U.K. at a young age and studied art and interior architecture at university. Saying her interest in Korea began 10 years ago, she added that she strives to incorporate elements of Korean culture or history into her projects.

The following are excerpts from a Dec. 17 interview with her.

Bukchon Hanok Village in Seoul

What process went into your winning work?
As soon as I learned that the topic of the contest was traditional Korean culture, I started writing all the things that came to mind when I thought of the word "Korea" like kimchi, Hanbok, ginseng and Hangeul. I searched for reference images of them and started thinking of the composition and message I wanted to convey. Afterwards, I decided to create a piece that "summarizes" Korea's vibrant culture at a glance and takes the viewer on a magical journey to a land full of color and excitement, beautiful traditions, food and architecture. 

How long did it take to complete this work?
I worked on it daily for about one to three hours for about a month. The tools I used were paper pencils and later a scanner to move the drawing onto my tablet, which I used to complete the illustration. I used traditional graphite in the beginning and later used digital painting.

Why do you think your work won? How did it feel to earn that honor?

My guess would be that it included not just one but several key elements representing the beauty of traditional Korean culture in a colorful and playful way. When I heard that my work made it to the finals, I was so excited but after learning that I'd won, I was truly surprised and beyond happy to know that the judges and audience appreciated and loved my work.

Describe your two other entries in the contest. 
The first illustration I submitted focused on Korea as the "Land of the Morning Calm," showing traditional architecture overlooking mesmerizing mountains on a tranquil morning at sunrise. I decided to do the second illustration at the last minute after learning that the competition deadline was extended. It featured the celebration of Seollal (Lunar New Year) and featured many key elements in the holiday.

These two works are among the three Maria Zlatareva entered in the Talk Talk Korea contest's illustration category.

What advice do you have for those aspiring to enter the contest?

Just keep going, never give up and don't be disappointed if something doesn't work out. If you don't like how a drawing came out, just draw more. More practice will produce better results with every attempt. Also, always draw for yourself first so you'll never be disappointed.

enny0611@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.