Shinkal
34 x 9 cm
Mixed Media: Steel, Copper and Solid Wood
2025
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Shinkal (literally “God knife”) is a traditional ritual tool used by Korean female shamans, based on indigenous shamanistic practices and broader East Asian animistic traditions. Acting as a medium for wish fulfillment, the shaman uses shinkal—among other tools and gestures—to divine the future, ward off misfortune, and drive out plagues. It is one of many objects that mediate between the human and the divine.
In the exhibition Hope, presented by KLYK—a project group consisting of four Korean artists—each member constructs a personal altar based on the shared keywords of “ritual,” “hope,” and “altar.” The act of wishing takes on various forms: candles, prayers, shinkal, and other ritual offerings serve as objects that embody Hope.
Shinkal is a tool used by shamans to connect with the God. At the same time, it expresses and displays the “power” of each god it symbolizes. Historically forged in iron, the blade has represented force—its violence making it a fitting emblem of kings and heavenly gods. It is no wonder that the sword came to signify divine authority. That which survives becomes legend and divine power. Fear and awe give rise to the unknown, and eventually, humans begin to make wishes to it. What if the very desire to wish for something is itself a kind of violence? This project carves that desire into the shape of a blade and places it upon the altar—a fragment of hope materialized.
Shinkal
30 x 3 cm
Mixed Media: Steel and Woolen yarn
2025
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