Photographer Jina Park explores India in debut exhibition ‘Lyrical Encounter: India Through a Korean Lens’ in Chennai

When Jina Park first arrived in India, she felt as though she had stepped into an entirely different world. “Everything fascinated me — the sound, the colours, the people, the kindness,” she recalls. That sense of wonder led her on an immersive journey across the country, from the ghats of Benaras to the mountains of Ladakh, and the deserts of Rajasthan, the bustling lanes of Mumbai, and through Tamil Nadu, where she now lives. These experiences came together in her debut solo exhibition in Chennai, Lyrical Encounter: India through a Korean Lens, on view at Shakuntala Art Gallery, CP Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation.

Born and raised in Seoul, the capital of South Korea, travel has shaped much of her life, influenced by her expat husband. She has lived in Slovakia, Austria, and Russia for over two decades, where her photographic practice gradually took root. It was only after moving to India and spending two years here that she began pursuing photography professionally.