Part 1: Life Reflected in a Clear Mind… 007
Part 2: Thoughts Embedded in Things… 069
Part 3: Everyday Life is Practice… 111

Author's Note … 171

It allows me to live each day with a new mindset
Small but substantial, easy but profound woodcuts

Artist Lee Cheol-su, who has moved people's hearts and led the spirit of the times with his simple drawings and sentences filled with clear reflection, has published a new print collection titled "If Tomorrow Comes, That's a Blessing!"
Lee Cheol-su has been loved by many for his works that straighten the mind and body shaken by the turbulent waves of capital and materialism, ranging from folk prints containing socially critical messages to religious practice and enlightenment prints.
He, who is approaching the 40th anniversary of his debut, has compiled a series of small items he has collected into a book.
These are 'small prints' drawn and engraved as my heart desires.
These works, closely related to the artist's daily life, contain the most intimate and candid conversations that printmaker Lee Cheol-su asks of his readers.
Although it is called a prop, the size of the print has only decreased, but the message contained within remains weighty and mysterious.
Rather, the honest charm of a painting drawn comfortably without any calculation stands out even more.
When we relax our eyes and open our hearts, we can finally perceive the precious moments of life that we used to take for granted. These precious moments shine brightly in each work.
As I gaze intently at nature, a renewed sense of awe for life is awakened, and a healthy sense of being alive through labor and making a living with one's own strength is conveyed through simple, powerful lines.

The collection of prints consists of three parts.
Part 1, 'Life Reflected in a Clear Mind', contains stories of the world seen through Lee Cheol-su's sharp reflections.
The author points out labor, capital, and environmental issues one by one, warning against human arrogance and greed.
The precious truth that if we can control our minds from being dazzled by the outside world, we can actively cultivate our lives is expressed through various materials and scenes.

Part 2, ‘Thoughts in Things,’ shows the process by which ordinary objects acquire special meaning through Lee Cheol-su’s gaze.
A four-sided table that is open on all sides and receives all eyes, a transparent glass bottle that shows everything inside, a lamp that naturally casts rippling shadows when lit, a chair that provides someone with a place to lean on, and other simple and stylish objects placed in the writer's living space emerge as clues for deep thought.
Part 3, ‘Daily Life is Practice,’ contains prints in which Lee Cheol-su himself appears as the speaker.
The scenery of the neighborhood where the author lives and the daily life of his family and neighbors are depicted so vividly that it seems as if you can see them with your own eyes.
The author, who encounters various people and discovers impressive scenes every day, combines the insights he gains from his intense life with his affectionate paintings.

The artist's short text accompanying each print not only helps to understand the painting, but also serves as a verse in itself.
Lee Cheol-su says that there is nothing worthless in the world and that all things in existence are closely connected to form one world.
When you look at his writings and prints together, you become humbled by the fact that in this vast world, human life is but a fleeting moment.
And we come to realize in our hearts that there is no moment in our lives that is worthless.
Lee Cheol-su's prints help us to look closely at the people and objects that make up our daily lives, find meaning in each day, and cherish the life we ​​have been given.
After reading this collection of prints, the days of the past, when we took for granted that today would pass and tomorrow would come, and we would repeat life in vain, suddenly become unfamiliar, and the coming tomorrow feels like a precious blessing.


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I collected prints of small items that I drew and engraved as they came to mind.
When I took out the prop that had not seen the light of day for a long time, it felt like I was looking at my own face with an honest expression on it.
I wanted to create work that anyone could easily understand.
I put in the effort, but it wasn't easy, and I felt like these prints, which were easily made, kept that promise.
Just as it is not easy to live without greed, it is not easy to draw without greed.
If that was possible with this prop, it would be because I let my guard down thinking it was nothing special.

As I took out old props and looked at them, I realized that my past self was talking to my present self.
The pictures will speak to you too, and I wonder what kind of conversation they will have.
_Lee Cheol-su, from 'Author's Note'