Off the Shelf: Love Is…

Summary:

Puuung is a Korean illustrator who has created a collection of her photos and captions portraying love and what “love is.”

From buying groceries together to reading aloud to hear the others’ voices, from reminiscing memories to planning new ones, Puuung shows both the exciting and the monotonous in a simple romance. Her newest edition has both Korean and English translations so international readers can enjoy her art. She captured the different stages of love in a healthy relationship as two people live life together.

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Whether read chronologically or randomly peruse through, no order must be kept when reading to understand the contents. Her lines are short and to the point, not overcomplicating art or love in the pages. I like the dreamy calm feeling of her art and the short fun lines that add to the pictures. The first editions of her book were written only in Korean, with scannable QR codes to the pages translated to English, but her popularity brought later editions to include both languages in the books. Her writing isn’t long and deep, so if you want a sweet read that strikes up thought but not deep thinking to read through, then paging through her books is an enjoyable experience romanticizing the ups and downs of daily life.

I think Love is…. romanticizes life in a way that brings back attention to the mundane that we become numb to and start to feel trapped in. Yet her art shows how even in the most normal of places a little bit of love can brighten up a room, whether in a laundry room or kitchen working together in the day-to-day experiences. Featured in the K-drama “W: Two Worlds” the main character, who is the daughter of a webtoonist, reads the book throughout the drama. I really loved the idea of pictures with words combined in such a fun way so I was quick to pick up a copy once I arrived in Korea, and I can’t say I was disappointed. I’ve also picked up some of her other books organized in a similar fashion, showcasing her art and the simple thoughts along side it, along with sometimes including QR to access her art coming to life in animated video clips.

Love is… feels like a book you glance through from time to time sipping tea on your couch, or picnicking at the park. It’s a book that has a cozy home-like feeling because that’s just where it takes place. It’s a collection of moments where love is shown through actions and not just a romantic confession.