Koreaans meisje in klederdracht 1951 - 1953

David Ketel made this photograph of a Korean girl in traditional dress. It’s only five centimeters tall and wide, yet it captures so much. The light in the photograph feels so even, soft, and a little melancholy. I keep coming back to the girl's vibrant outfit against the muted tones of the adults and the landscape. There’s a playful tension between the sharp lines of the men’s tailoring and the flowing, colorful patterns of her hanbok. Look at the sleeves, those stripes! The little details of the embroidery, the way the colors pop against the red. You can almost feel the texture of the silk. It's like a burst of joy in a very serious world. The girl’s red dress contrasts against the grey concrete under her feet, which is reflecting the colour of the sky. This image reminds me of the work of the photographer, Helen Levitt. She also made photographs of children and often used colour slides to capture the streets of New York. Both artists create images that leave us with a sense of nostalgia, and offer a glimpse into fleeting moments in time.