Courtyard with Gingko Trees

Exhibited in the PEACE LOVE ART showcase and sale hosted by Arts + Causes, with 100% of proceeds benefiting the Oki Language Project.

Year: 2023

Medium: Acrylic on canvas

Size: 16 x 20 inches

The main courtyard of Sungkyunkwan University's old campus is an ideal place to walk or study in the afternoon: it is quiet, secluded, and atmospheric, bounded by dormitories and lecture pavilions built in a deeply classical Korean style. In the summertime, the courtyard is shaded over by gingko trees, the symbol of the school. The two oldest trees (background, far right) are thought to have been planted around 1519, by which time the school itself was already over 100 years old. They are still growing to this day. Along with the old campus as a whole, the trees stand as symbols of endurance and continuity in the face of centuries of upheaval, providing a physical link between modern Sungkyunkwan students and the many, many generations of learners before them.