“At dawn above Gyeongbokgung,
a guardian emerged to protect what must not be forgotten.”
This is the first series of the 'We, We Wish' three-part media project, a core part of Soojin Pray's lifelong artistic endeavor, <The Path of Restoration>. This work explores the spiritual connection between nature and humans, enduring from ancient times, by summoning forgotten Korean myths, especially animal deities from shamanic mythology, into the present. As an art meditator and digital healer, the artist performs healing rituals in carefully selected sacred spaces and times (e.g., Seonbawi Rock in Inwangsan, Seoul, at dawn) and records these processes to transform them into digital art.
This series reinterprets traditional masks, attire, and shamanic tools in a contemporary context, translating ancient narratives into today's language through performance. 'The Tutelar Guardian of Forgotten Tales' goes beyond mere representation, attempting to eternally preserve intangible heritage in modern technology by inscribing its spiritual records on the blockchain. This work opens a new space of ritual that connects the past and present, spirituality and technology.
Performed on January 1, 2023 — Seonbawi Rock, Inwangsan, 5:00 a.m.
Amid ancestral prayers and shamanic breaths, the artist stood at the sacred site.
The ritual was held without an audience, in the still dark, as shamans nearby chanted for the new year.
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Photograph taken near Seonbawi, Inwangsan – a sacred site for shamanic rituals
At dawn, beneath the sacred rock,
artists and shamans gathered—
in silence, with offerings of their own


Each item holds memory—echoes of rites passed down
The ritual begins. Tools laid out like offerings, silence before invocation
As the guardian moves, shadows stir.
The air thickens with breath and belief.
The ritual unfolded in the quiet of dawn, unseen by any audience—
yet surrounded by shamans offering prayers of their own.

12 Works | Digital Relics

Mask adorns, veils soul
Shaman's Dance, Shadows Defeated
Guardian of Forgotten Tales
Safely Enfolded, Prayers Rise
Peace Descends, Blessings Flow
Graceful Touch, Souls Comforted
Embracing All, Welcoming Spirits
Comfort for the Lost, Guiding Light
Banishing Evil, Spirits Soar
Souls Honored, Wisdom Resonates
Guardians of time
Mask falls, ritual ends
가면을 쓰고, 옛 전설을 감추니
무녀의 춤사위로 그림자를 물리친다
잊혀진 이야기를 지키는 수호자
품어안은 기도가 하늘을 향해 오른다
평화가 내려와 축복처럼 스며드는 달빛 아래
우아한 손길, 마음이 녹아드는 그 순간
모든 생명을 품고, 영혼을 맞이한다
길 잃은 이를 위한 위안과 인도
그림자를 걷어내니 빛이 솟아올라
고요한 진리가 깊이 울리는 이 밤
시간의 수호자들이여
가면을 벗고, 의식은 막을 내린다
The Tutelar Guardian of Forgotten Tales
SooJin Pray
About the Work
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Object (Barah)
A traditional purification instrument used to cleanse energy and mark sacred space in Korean rituals.
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Location: Seonbawi, Inwangsan
A legendary rock on Mount Inwang, long visited by shamans and wish-seekers.
Even today, Seonbawi is regarded as a gateway between this world and the spirit realm.
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Time: Myohsi (5:30–7:30 a.m.)
When yin gives way to yang, and the breath of the universe reawakens.
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Synopsis
At the break of New Year’s day, a woman arrives to perform a ritual of protection.
Once a shaman, now a healer, she walks alone yet accompanied—
by unseen spirits, ancestral voices, and the murmurs of living breath.
Her ritual does not seek to be seen. It is a silent vow to keep sacred time.










