37년차 농사꾼이 친환경 벼농사에 '꽂힌' 이유는? 낮에는 농사꾼으로, 밤에는 판화가로 그리는 일상의 미학! [자연의 철학자들 KBS 20220114 방송]

■ Lee Cheol-su (68) is a farmer who cultivates the soil and a woodblock print artist who carves words and images onto wood. A leading Korean woodblock artist, he has been an artist for over 40 years, consistently exhibiting his work in major cities both domestically and internationally. At the same time, he left the city and returned to farming in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province, where he now resides for 37 years. A diligent farmer, Lee Cheol-su cultivates his vast rice fields organically. He cultivates rice using snail farming in his 1,000-pyeong (3,300-square-foot) paddy field and grows over 40 different crops in his 800-pyeong (2,600-square-foot) field. He meticulously carves woodblocks and prints, working with the soil and tending his crops with the same care. Lee Cheol-su claims to cultivate his mind through farming. Every day, he engraves the wisdom of nature, harvested through his sweat, onto his woodblocks, capturing his daily life. His uneventful days flow by like yesterday, today, just as they did yesterday. Lee Cheol-su, heading out into the fields beyond the dawn fog, begins each day with "catching bugs." Protecting crops from the bugs and their tiny creatures, which cling to the green leaves like hide-and-seek, is a common farmer's routine. Lee Cheol-su heads to a greenhouse brimming with a variety of vegetables! This place is like a supermarket to him. He selects the vegetables he needs for the day and puts them in a basket before heading home. A fresh salad made from freshly picked vegetables is served... The joy of having a breakfast table filled with produce grown right in front of his house, without having to venture far! This simple abundance inspired him to move to the countryside and helped him overcome the spiritual poverty of the city. Since settling down in the countryside, nature and farming have transformed Lee Cheol-su. He greets his mornings with gratitude, relishing the abundance of everyday life within his daily routine. An autumn day in October! He is particularly busy with the autumn harvest. When my wife and I were desperately shorthanded for our 1,000-pyeong (approximately 3,000 sq ft) rice paddies, we hired "snail farmhands" to help us with the rice farming. Thanks to the hard work of these snails, this year's rice harvest is also rewarding! After the fall harvest, Lee Cheol-su polishes the rice at home and shares it with neighbors and welfare facilities. Lee Cheol-su's generosity mirrors nature's boundless generosity. Lee Cheol-su's fall harvest is imbued with the philosophy of nature he learned through farming. For organic farmers, ginkgo leaves and gingko nuts are also a blessing of autumn. He sweeps the fallen leaves and berries into a cart. He then creates an extract from the collected leaves and berries and uses it as a "natural pesticide." Lee Cheol-su, an organic farmer, does not waste the benefits he receives from nature, but instead returns them to nature. He continues to work diligently to maintain the organic cycle of nature. Lee Cheol-su, who went out to the fields at sunrise, only picks up his carving knife as dusk deepens. Every night, he transforms from farmer to "printmaker Lee Cheol-su." He sharpens his woodblocks and paints in preparation for an upcoming exhibition. He describes the parallels between plowing the fields and carving wood with a knife. Perhaps this is why he has been able to consistently pursue the arduous art of printmaking for 40 years. He captures the beauty of everyday life, captured calmly on woodblocks while farming! His prints, imbued with the tranquility and insight of rural life, have long brought smiles and comfort to the public. After working the fields late into the night with his wife, Lee Yeo-gyeong, the day draws to a close in a somber manner. Lee Cheol-su writes down the insights and heart he gleaned from the soil and nature, and his wife types his handwriting. From sundown to moonrise, the couple engages with nature, capturing and capturing it. On this uneventful day, I mark the return of a simple life, and today, like yesterday, flows by again. Natural Human Documentary: Philosophers of Nature - Living Another Day Without Any Problems #PhilosophersofNature #Farming #ReturningToTheCountry