Traditional Korean Art Materials as Therapeutic Media: Multicultural Expansion Through Materials in Art Therapy

The globalization of art therapy requires a high level of multicultural competence among art therapists for ethical practice, which includes understanding the traditional materials of the client’s culture. However, the common materials used in art therapy remain mostly Western, which neglects the therapeutic value of art materials from outside the Eurocentric world. This article explores the relations between culture and art materials, using the traditional Eastern materials from the Korean cultural context called Jipilmuk — Ji (paper) pil (brush) muk (Meok [inkstick]). A focus on the philosophical esthetics of East Asia reveals the close connection between materials and culture as well as their therapeutic implications.