By Andrew Hamlin
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
The five colors used in the traditional Korean Obangsaek spectrum—blue, red, yellow, white, and black—represent the five elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water), along with the five orientations (East, South, Center, West, and North). It’s a set of beliefs designed to promote harmony, balance, prosperity, and protection.
Kang-Robinson’ specialty jersey for Lunar New Year 2024. Jerseys were auctioned off for charity. (Courtesy of Juliana Kang-Robinson)
Not the sort of thing you’d likely see on a hockey jersey.
But local artist Juliana Kang Robinson, designer of the custom Seattle Kraken jersey sold at the team’s Lunar New Year game on Monday, Feb. 19, says the ancient practices lined right up with her approach.
Juliana Kang-Robinson celebrating her Lunar New Year design of the Seattle Kraken Jersey at the February 19, 2024 Seattle Kraken game against the Detroit Red Wings. (Photo by Jason Cruz)
“I always look to design inspiration from traditional Korean art,” said Robinson. “It’s a way of seeking help from those who came before me, and learning from the wisdom of one’s ancestors. I am always conscious of how each mark I’m making contributes to harmony and balance.”
She also drew inspiration from the colorful dragons seen in art from Korea’s Joeson era (1392-1897).
“It’s always challenging to work within an existing design, because there’s always the tendency to make comparisons to the original logo. The specialty jersey artists are asked to work within the confines of the existing Kraken logo, and retain the shape so that the specialty logo is still somewhat recognizable.
“I embraced the concept of Yin-Yang, and allowed the dragon to be like a mirror image of the Kraken creature. My goal was for the dragon to coexist in harmony with the Kraken.”
Robinson began life in Seoul, South Korea, and won her first major award—South Korea’s National Drawing competition for kindergartners—at age 5.
The year after that took the family to Fairfax, Virginia, where “my sisters and I were the only non-whites at our elementary school. I grew up in a Korean-speaking home while assimilating to American culture as quickly as possible, because that was the expected norm of that time.”
She quickly became obsessed with the famous free museums found in Washington, D.C., near Fairfax. “The artwork I was moved by as a young artist were the ink brush paintings of early East Asian artists, in particular Muqi, and also the Buddhist artwork from the 13th to 16th centuries.”
“But as an adult, a parent, and a working artist, the artists I gravitate towards are those that have a strong voice in their work, that addresses the need for social change and [for whom] the artwork is a platform for discussion, interaction, and activism.”
She didn’t, she confesses, know very much about hockey before receiving the Kraken commission. But she’s happy her work benefits charity. “One of the best parts of the Kraken HIFE (Hockey is for Everyone) project is the proceeds from the sale of the merchandise and jerseys go to support the One Roof Foundation, which fights youth homelessness in Seattle.”
Asked about other current projects, Robinson mentioned, “I am currently working on a mural in West Seattle for Seattle Parks and Recreation. I hope to finish that by this summer. I would love to find a gallery to work with that has a commitment to social change and giving to Seattle’s unhoused population.
“I try to balance the work I do with enough art projects that benefit people who are not your typical museum or gallery visitors. Some people are too busy working multiple jobs or dealing with other struggles in life that make viewing art a low priority or completely inaccessible. So it’s important to me to create art in public places, perhaps even unexpected places like transit stations or the crosswalk because everyone should have access to art. It warms my heart to think of one of my artworks bringing a smile to someone’s busy day.”
For more information about the Kraken specialty jerseys, visit https://www.nhl.com/kraken/community/specialty-jerseys. For more information about Juliana Kang Robinson, visit https://www.julianakangrobinson.com/.