Class on Oriental water engraving opened

“Oriental water engraving is about 1,000 years ahead of its Western counterparts. It is much easier, so it will be a great chance to learn sophisticated skills with a set of simple tools.”

For many students in South Korea, oriental print paintings remain a mystery as it was the works from the West typically covered in art textbooks. “By practicing Oriental print paintings, we can take a glimpse into the lifestyle and the perspective of our ancestors,” said Kim Sang-yeon (pictured), a 54-year-old photographer who studied water engraving in China to merge it with modern art. From 1994 to 1999, Kim studied traditional engraving at Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts and China Academy of Art.

In water engraving, water is used as soluble while the typical print paintings from the West use oil and a press machine. Naturally, oil pressing leaves invariably a clear shape. By contrast, water engraving requires a more prolonged process as you should press it with your hands following the water spreading on the paper. The process takes a meticulous attention at every moment.

The class, which will take place from Saturday for a total of six sessions at the Asia Culture Center, will allow participants to use various materials to create their paintings in person. Students can use the canvas, paper, and paints of their choice.

“There is a lot of difficulty when it comes to understanding the Asian modern arts since the current arts education is centered around Western works,” said Kim. “This class will be an opportunity for laypeople and even professional painters to get a hands-on experience on engraving and a new perspective into the world of arts.”


Min Kim kimmin@donga.com