Pressed petals were transformed into new flowers and butterflies in the artwork. Next to “Butterfly”, a pressed-flower piece created by the late Shim Dal-Yeon, a sexual slavery victim for the Japanese imperial army, her handwritten words read: “A butterfly, too, can fly freely. I envy its wings.” The delicate yet powerful work seems to embody her pure longing for a life of freedom.

To mark the 80th anniversary of Korea’s National Liberation, the University Museum is holding a special exhibition on the issue of sexual slavery victims for the Japanese imperial army through November 29th. The exhibition consists of two parts: “Blooming Again”, a pressed-flower art showcase by the late Kim Sun-Ak and Shim Dal-Yeon, both victims of the Japanese military sexual slavery system, and “Into the Light from Darkness”, which highlights the life of the late Kim Moon-Sook — chairwoman of the Citizen’s Coalition for Volunteer Korea in Busan, regarded as the starting point of the women’s rights movement in Busan and remembered as a lifelong companion to the victims.

What makes this special exhibition unique is that it does not depict the women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese imperial army merely as victims, but as agents of their own lives — artists and women’s rights activists who forged new paths. Kang Na-Ri, the curator who organized the exhibition, said “This is not simply an event to record the past, but an effort to convey the victims’ voices in today’s language. In particular, the pressed-flower works of the two grandmothers carry a message of hope, showing flowers blooming even amid pain.”

When reporters visited the exhibition on September 4th, pressed-flower artworks in warm hues caught the eye. Among them were “Happiness”, rendered in white blossoms; “Youth”, spread out in shades of pink; and “Flower Socks”, embroidered with pale pink petals. In “Carp 3”, where blue and red tones intersect, one could sense both delicacy and strength in the artist’s touch. Works such as “1945.8.15”, depicting the Taegeukgi in flowers, and “If I Were a Bird, I Would Want to Fly Away” conveyed how deeply the late artist longed for peace during her lifetime.

The exhibition also offers a glimpse into the lives of the two grandmothers, who were both sexual slavery victims for the Japanese imperial army from the Daegu and  Gyeongsangbuk-do regions and human rights activists. They began creating pressed flowers as part of an emotional healing program, using petals to express their feelings and soothe their wounds. According to a pamphlet introducing the works, the pieces have since been listed as nationally designated records, serving as both testimony to history and keepers of memory.

The core message the exhibition seeks to convey is to remember a painful history while safeguarding human rights and peace. Curator Kang said, “I hope visitors can feel the lives and determination of the grandmothers in each piece. If the exhibition inspires them to think, ‘We must learn from history and live with respect for the rights of others,’ nothing could be more meaningful.”

The follow-up exhibition, “Into the Light from Darkness”, recounts the life of the late Kim Moon-Sook, Busan’s first women’s rights activist and the inspiration for the film “Herstory”. The display is filled with episodes from her life, including how she set up a hotline for “sexual slavery victims for the Japanese imperial army” calls at the office of Busan Women’s Hotline, as well as her tireless efforts to support the victims despite the passive stance of both the Korean and Japanese governments. It also sheds light on the journey of the Shimonoseki Lawsuit, in which Kim traveled between Busan and Shimonoseki, Japan, leading to the first court ruling that found the Japanese government at fault.

Kim Eun-Hee (Graduate School of Education), who visited the exhibition, said, “It was meaningful to see that women carried out social activities even under the harsh oppression of the Japanese colonial period, and I felt proud as a citizen of Korea. If I get the chance, I would also like to visit the History Hall for the Korean People and Women.” In a previous press release, Lim Sang-Taek (Prof. of Archaeology, PNU), Director of the University Museum, stated, “Marking the 80th anniversary of Korea’s National Liberation, we seek to reflect on the noble life and practice of Chairman Kim, who dedicated herself to women’s rights activism in Busan for many years. We also hope this exhibition will provide an opportunity to remember and empathize with the unresolved painful history of the sexual slavery victim for the Japanese imperial army, and to connect that memory to the present.”

Reporter Seo Hye-Ryeong

Translated by Seo Young-Chae