Park Geurim was trained under a traditional Buddhist painting master through a rigorous apprenticeship, mastering the meticulous techniques of classical Buddhist art. However, his work goes far beyond mere reproduction of tradition. By weaving together queer identity, regional belonging, and his lived experience as an apprentice, Park creates a layered and deeply personal iconography.

His signature series Simhodo is a reimagining of the Buddhist parable Simudo (The Ten Ox-Herding Pictures). In Park’s version, the classic figures of the boy and the ox are transformed into a bodhisattva and a tiger. The tiger—unable to become human—embarks on a journey not of taming but of healing: overcoming discrimination, self-hatred, and ultimately embracing selfhood. This tiger, drawn from Korean mythology and the artist’s own inner consciousness, becomes a powerful agent of narrative inversion.

In the Holy Grail series, traditional Buddhist hand gestures (mudras) intertwine with unsettling symbols like red fluids and champagne, creating a layered critique of how society views queer identity. In Darkened Manifestation, Park merges “darkened” anime characters with wrathful Buddhist deities, blurring the lines between good and evil, center and periphery.

Park’s practice infuses traditional forms with contemporary sensibilities and critical inquiry. In doing so, he explores the theme of the Biennale—Neighbors of Civilization—with a precision and sensitivity that probes the unseen fractures within culture and self.

Standing before his works, we are no longer passive viewers of fixed narratives.
We become co-authors—rewriting, reimagining, and reclaiming our own.