Dates：2018-09-04 ~ 2019-03-24
Opening Hours : Tuesday–Sunday : 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location：7F The Great Hall of World Religions
Closing Day : The museum is closed every Monday, and Chinese New Year’s Eve to Chinese January 5th.

The Museum of World Religions and the Hansangsoo Embroidery Museum in Korea have collaborated to produce the Special Exhibition “Embroidered Buddha - The First Korean National Treasure Embroidery Artist Han Sang Soo”. The exhibition displays over 80 pieces of culturally significant art produced by Miss Han and the students of the Embroidery Research Institute.

Ms. Han Sang Soo(1932-2016), as the embroidery artist to be registered with the Intangible Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea, is not only dedicated to traditional embroidery arts but also the study of the preservation of traditional embroidery techniques. Despite being a devout Roman Catholic, she still devoted herself to the creation of embroidered images, banners, robes and other forms of Buddhist art. Her art serves as a deep exploration of the Korean Buddhist tradition in which the Buddha’s return to Lingjiu Mountain to expound Buddhist teachings is reenacted in a “Yeongsan-jae ritual”. Furthermore, she demonstrates the importance of embroidery art in the worship of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas while recording the profound cultural backdrop behind these time-honored skills.

Ms. Han Sang Soo has created a beautiful and precious cultural heritage for the world to preserve traditional Buddhist art and create harmony between world religions. Through the colorful embroidery of Buddhist art, we are able to witness the dignified images of Korean traditional embroidery in ancient Buddhist ceremonies while recognizing the aesthetic and spiritual elements that lie within.