A Korean American calligraphy exhibition in Los Angeles has drawn attention for featuring a 70-meter-long handwritten transcription of the Gospel of John, a work its creator says took a year of daily writing and prayer to complete.
The solo exhibition by veteran calligrapher Kim Chang-soon, also known as Laura Kim, was held April 18–25 at E.K Gallery near Koreatown in Los Angeles, according to reporting by Christian Daily Korea. The exhibition showcased more than 50 works spanning several decades of the artist’s career, but the centerpiece was a large scroll containing the entire text of the Gospel of John handwritten character by character on traditional Korean calligraphy paper.
Kim described the project as both an artistic and spiritual undertaking.
“For one year, I wrote each character prayerfully every day,” she said, according to the report. The work was displayed in scroll form across the gallery space.
The exhibition, titled “With the Brush, With the Ink, With the Years,” highlighted Kim’s more than 70 years of involvement in calligraphy and reflected themes of faith, perseverance and artistic discipline.
Visitors also attended a live calligraphy performance on opening day, during which Kim demonstrated her brushwork in front of the audience.
Now in her 80s, Kim began studying calligraphy at age 10 and later trained under several prominent Korean calligraphy masters, including Kim Chung-hyun. Her work gained recognition early, including awards in student calligraphy competitions in South Korea.
After immigrating to the United States in 1975, Kim expanded into literary activities in addition to calligraphy, receiving recognition in Korean-language poetry competitions in the Korean American community.
Kim said her relationship with calligraphy evolved over time from a pursuit of technical excellence into a form of inner discipline.
“At first, I simply wanted to write beautifully,” she said. “But as time passed, the brush became a tool for disciplining my heart.”
She currently serves as an adviser to the Korean American Calligraphy Association in the United States and teaches calligraphy at the Koreatown Senior & Community Center in Los Angeles.
A gallery representative said the exhibition offered visitors an opportunity for reflection through works shaped by decades of artistic practice and personal experience.
