Artwork copyright Mo Bahc. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission.

Artwork copyright Mo Bahc. Photo courtesy of the artist (left panel).

Artwork copyright Mo Bahc. Photo courtesy of the artist (middle panel).

Artwork copyright Mo Bahc. Photo courtesy of the artist (right panel).

Artwork copyright Mo Bahc. Photo courtesy of the artist (detail of right panel).

Artwork copyright Mo Bahc. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, by Stacey McRae.

Artwork copyright Mo Bahc. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, by Stacey McRae.

Looking Back at the End of My History of Learning English, 1993

Mo Bahc
(South Korean, born 1957, died 2004)

Location: Department of Ecology, Lacey

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

This landscape painting movingly explores artist Mo Bahc’s immigrant experience and ongoing work learning English. Bahc sketched the title Looking Back at the End of My History of Learning English across the top of the three canvas panels. He notes that the mountain imagery references the Korean expression “mountain after mountain,” which is used to signify continuing hardship. Each of the mountain peaks are numbered, and represent an English textbook or course taken by the artist.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Auburn School District.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Mo Bahc (1957-2004) created paintings and conceptual artworks that explored cross-cultural experiences and themes of authenticity, tradition, and nationality.

Bahc was born in South Korea, and he graduated from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York City. He founded the gallery Minor Injury in Brooklyn in 1986 and produced artworks under many different pseudonyms. He returned to Korea in the 1990s.