Exhibitions Showcase Classics of Korean Modern Art

Kwon Jin-kyu, Kim Whan-ki, Yoo Young-guk, Jang Wook-jin and Lee Jung-seob…

Those are some of the artists who have left a big mark in the history of modern and contemporary art in Korea. Although their works have become classics, the excitement of seeing those masterpieces remains unchanged.

The Special Exhibition of Korean Realism Sculptures by Kwon Jin-kyu is being held at the Jangheung Art Park in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province until January 31, 2008.

Around the 1960s when abstract sculptures flourished, Kwon pioneered realism in Korean sculptures with sculptural works created by combining terra cottas made by kneading and firing clay with pieces of paper varnished with lacquer. He left numerous head and bust sculptures that express the essence of human beings and their ideals.

The exhibition displays some 30 pieces of his sculptures. The most eye-catching works are three granite sculptures which have been introduced to the public for the first time. The organizer of the exhibition rented the three pieces, which were created in the 1950s during his stay in Japan, from the Japanese owner. Those works, which represent parts of human and animal bodies in a minimalist style, clearly reflect the aesthetic of moderation that Kim pursued through self-control. For more information, call 031-877-0500.

The Special Exhibition Marking the 60th Anniversary of the Neorealism School is being held in Whanki Museum, Jongno-gu, Seoul until January 13, 2008, and Neorealism, Since Then is also being held in Jang Wook-jin’s old residence in Giheung-gu, Yongin until December 5, 2007.

The Neorealism School is an art coterie founded in 1947 by Korea’s first-generation abstract artists – Kim Whan-ki, Yoo Young-guk, and Lee Gyu-sang. Later, Lee Jung-seob, Jang Wook-jin and Baek Young-soo joined the group to pursue pure art. They held an exhibition three times between the end of the 1940s and the beginning if the 1950s, one of the most turbulent periods in Korean history. Neorealism follows abstractness but believes in expressing truth in nature or reality. Their activities involved exploration on the essence of life and art.

Some 90 pieces of artworks of the six neorealism artists created around the 1950s and 80 pieces of relevant materials are being exhibited at the Whanki Museum. Some 30 pieces of artworks of Jang Wook-jin and Kim Whan-ki created in the 1960s and 1970s are also being exhibited at Jang Wook-jin’s old residence. They are meaningful exhibitions that demonstrate the trend in the history of modern and contemporary Korean art.

Whanki Museum Tel: 02-391-7701, Jang Wook-jin’s Old Residence Tel: 031-283-1911

kplee@donga.com