I found the self-portraits of Na Hye-sok and Ko Hui-dong to be in stark contrast to one another. At first glance, Ko’s three self-portraits look different in composition, line, texture, and form. But upon closer inspection of his work and further reading of Kee’s historical context of Ko’s political and cultural climate, I notice that he clung to the use of indirect lighting (aka soft lighting) of the subject (himself). Comparing his Self-Portrait in Overcoat to his latter two pieces, one can see how Ko moved from simple textures and lines to add more detail, such as creases in the clothing and his face. His move from a traditional portrait to environmental portraiture also provided more insight into his life and lifestyle. Ko, who studied in Japan, struggled between his Korean culture and the influences of Western culture and Japanese imperialism, which can be seen in his paintings. In Self-Portrait with a Hat, using oil painting as his medium, he tries to emulate the painting in Asian ink brushstroke painting. His return to ink painting in 1925 shows how he felt the need to hold onto his Korean culture and traditions.

Na’s self-portrait, on the other hand, uses direct lighting creating strong, harsh shadows on her face. Created in 1928, Na’s self-portrait somewhat resembles the form of Ko’s Self-Portrait with Fan. Both portraits pull away from the subject and show the subject from a ¾ view (from head to hip-thigh level). But Na’s portrait looks directly at the viewer in deadpan. (All three self-portraits of Ko have the subject looking beyond the viewer’s gaze. In fact, I would say that with each iteration, Ko’s self-portraits have each subject’s gaze look further and further beyond the vantage point of the viewer.) When reading “Kyong-hui” (K.H.), Na is questioning how women are viewed from the perspective of four different conversations: 1) between the mother and K.H.’s mother-in-law (older woman to woman), 2) rice cake peddler (outsider and self (K.H.), 3) father and mother/husband and wife, 4) K.H. herself. Through the use of storytelling, Na is asking the reader to look directly at the cultural norms and expectations placed on Korean women. Just as in her writing, Na is also asking the viewer to look directly at her self-portrait.