Longing for Travel
Seoul-based artist Boree Hur takes us on her pre-pandemic trip to Miami in the form of artwork for Salvatore Ferragamo’s Tuscan Wildflowers campaign
Seoul-based artist Boree Hur takes us on a trip to Miami via her artwork
In their floral-printed Tuscan Wildflowers collection, Salvatore Ferragamo captures the feeling of driving through the winding roads of the Florentine countryside and watching the orange sun set upon the enchanting fields of poppies, daisies and sunflowers. In this spirit of celebrating nature and travel, the Italian fashion house took the opportunity to present the Pre-fall 2021 garments with a collaborative, visual Tuscan Wildflowers campaign to see the world through the lenses of six talented artists.
Among the artists invited to share their travel diaries on Salvatore Ferragamo’s digital and social media platforms is South Korean painter, Boree Hur. Inspired by her visit to Ernest Hemingway’s workshop in Key West, an island south of Miami, Florida, she has created three stunning artworks that depict the beauty of lilac perennial flowers, pink bougainvilleas and bright yellow coneflowers.
She sits down with Tatler to discuss her creative process,
including her affinity for flowers, and what she misses most about travelling.
Why did you choose Miami as your artistic travel destination?
Miami was one of the last places I visited before the pandemic. I was on a cruise tour of the Bahamas, which set sail from Miami, so I didn’t expect to make a stop to Hemingway’s studio in Key West, where he wrote The Old Man and
the Sea. I had always adored the simple message behind that novel but after visiting his studio and experiencing the atmosphere of the island, I felt like I gained a deeper understanding of his work.
I remember the inside of Hemingway’s studio was filled with hunting and fishing gear, which revealed so much about his hobbies and active personality. His writing philosophy was to create based on his lived experiences, and so my work was inspired by the vivid memory of this visit and the little flowers in every garden we passed on the way to his workshop.
At the beginning of this project, I was researching exotic flowers and I was drawn back to these flowers because they were far from anything that I have encountered in my daily life. I was intrigued by their unique shapes and could feel the energy radiating from their vibrant colour—i can remember the hot pink bougainvilleas and piercing yellow coneflowers all competing for my attention.
You are known for your beautiful paintings of flowers. Why are you drawn to natural elements, such as flowers, wildflowers and plants?
I always think about how humans’ lives are so similar to that of plants. Their shapes are complex and ever-changing so that they can overcome the wind and rain with their bodies, battle to soak up the nutrients in the soil, intertwine with others to happily meet the sun and bloom beautiful flowers.
It’s a life of passion and joy that I want to portray on the canvas with my brush strokes.
How does it feel to be featured alongside talented artists from around the world, including Diego Cabezas, Marina Papi, Bijou Karman, Lucas Beaufort and Firenze studio?
It was interesting to be connected to these contemporary, international artists through Ferragamo’s Tuscan Wildflowers campaign. I personally loved the artwork from Bijou Karman and Diego Cabezas. All the creations contained the emotions of each artist’s travel experience; I felt like I had gone on that journey with them.
Due to the pandemic, I wasn’t able to meet them in real life but we got to know each other over social media.
What do you miss most about travelling?
These days, I take virtual trips to other countries on my phone, under my blanket. I miss the way my body feels when I arrive at a travel destination as it takes in the smells, the temperature and humidity… Perhaps one of the most beautiful things about travelling is the sounds, hearing the unfamiliar tones and accents of a foreign language. Even the sound of the radio when taking a taxi to the hotel is exciting and mysterious. Most of all, I miss the opportunity to spend the days meeting new people and leisurely exploring new cultures, instead of chugging away at life like a runaway locomotive.