Mountain God, 2024

Acrylic on canvas, 2024

50.2 x 76.4 cm

Mountain Gods in Korea are believed to guard, guide and bless people in a village, and to answer specific petitions for blessings (particular, requests for the birth of a child).

Due to the influence of Confucianism, female Mountain spirits have been forgotten, but they have been propitiated in every dynastic period of Korean history. Usually, tigers in historic Mountain God paintings are believed to be the god's messenger, but tiger itself is portrayed in Korean folklore as a creature that protects humans agains evil spirits.