Silence

Also, the demand for silence can be seen as one for secrecy and to keep certain things hidden or unsaid. Of course, as with any artwork, various meanings can be read into it, and this ambiguity mixed with a direct instruction was what intrigued us when we first came across the original piece in the Pyongyang Maternity Hospital.

The limited-edition prints are 120 euros (plus 25 euros for worldwide postage). The hand-painted pieces (created in 2011) are limited to 20 pieces only (one will remain in our collection) at a price of 800 euros + postage.
All works are stamped in the white border with our seal and dated.

This image, commissioned by Koryo Studio, is based on the ‘SILENCE’ sign found on display in the Pyongyang Maternity Hospital, and was painted in 2011. The North Korean artist we commissioned could not put his name to it as it was a copy of another artist’s work. We could not track down the original artist- likely to have come from the graphics department responsible for propaganda work and performance charts at the hospital.

This work was painted with a banner along the bottom which is intended as a simple instruction; forceful and precise, but at the same time with an alluring quality because of the inherent beauty and authority of the nurse, and the soft way she is signaling for silence.

The nurse is wearing a badge stating jong song (‘with care’), an apt metaphor for these complex times!