Modern Adaptations of Korean Painting... Invitational Exhibition of 8 Artists
"Breathing a Progressive Artistic Spirit into Korean Painting"
The Wanju Cultural Foundation’s complex cultural district nu-e Art Hall will host the invitational exhibition "Wanju Palgoe (完州八怪)" featuring contemporary artist Park Jong-gap and seven others, showcasing modern reinterpretations of traditional Korean painting from July 27 to August 4 for 34 days (closed every Monday).
This exhibition is part of the "2024 Small Museum Creation and Operation Support Project," a public contest project sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Arts Council Korea. The opening ceremony on the 27th was attended by the eight participating artists, Yu Hee-tae, the mayor of Wanju County, and art critic Lee Joon-hee (adjunct professor in the Department of Contemporary Art at Konkuk University), among others.
The nu-e Art Hall stated, "We hope this exhibition will help discover the latent potential and direction of Korean painting."
The nu-e Art Hall provides professional docents to help visitors deeply appreciate the artworks. Admission to the "Wanju Palgoe" exhibition is free and requires no prior reservation. Group visit inquiries can be made to the nu-e complex cultural district.
At the Nu-e Art Hall in the Wanju Cultural Complex, operated by the Wanju Cultural Foundation, an invitational exhibition titled "Wanju Palgwe (完州八怪)" featuring contemporary artist Park Jong-gap and seven other artists showcasing modern reinterpretations of traditional Korean painting will be held for eight days from the 27th to August 4th. [Photo by Kim Geon-wan yacht@]
Exhibition Theme 'Wanju Palgoe'... Held at a Small Museum
The exhibition features eight mid-career artists who have expanded the realm of Korean painting with their unique personalities and expressions. They break away from the conventional rules of creating beauty to express their own freedom.
The artists include Kwon Ki-soo with "Chongseok (叢石) - Gwigeoraesa (歸去來辭)," Kim Sun-hyung with "gardenblue1," Park Jong-gap with "Tower of Civilization," Yoo Mi-sun with "My Garden," Yoon Dae-ra with "Bikini Soda Pyororong Pangpang," Lee Cheol-ryang with "another nature 1," Jung Jin-yong with "Candella_RosePurples," and Jo Hwan with "Game-Wall," all presenting large-scale works over 100 size.
"Wanju Palgoe" is a group of painters with distinctive styles connecting Seoul and Wanju through the . In this invitational exhibition, these eight free-spirited Korean painters unfold the beauty of boldness, inspiring new imaginations among the public.
Originally, "Palgoe (八怪)" refers to the "Yangzhou Palgoe" painters of 18th-century Yangzhou (揚州), China. Supported by salt merchants in the Yangzhou region who accumulated wealth through the intersecting Grand Canal and convenient transportation, they emerged with a painting style free from traditional constraints.
They combined a strong commercial atmosphere with the literati painting tradition while addressing more popular subjects. Their works reflected "peculiar tastes" and characteristics, which were called "goe (怪)."
Anything different, new, strange, revealing human nature, or rebelling against conventional rules and fixed standards of beauty was also called goe (怪).
Injecting the Progressive Artistic Spirit into Korean Painting
The painter Jeong Seop (鄭燮) from Pangyo (板橋) said that the true meaning of painting is "to freely and wildly (亂) express the feelings and emotions of the spirit." This progressive spirit became an important pathway for Chinese calligraphy and painting to enter modernity, leading to distinctive styles and pioneering creative methods.
The nu-e Art Hall, the artistic space for this exhibition, applies this progressive artistic spirit to Korean painting, aiming to renew the painting form by showcasing techniques and content through eight painters under the name Wanju Palgoe (完州八怪).
Artist Park Jong-gap said, "The participating artists are all sincere and dedicated mid-career Korean painters, but they achieve a unique form-breaking style of goe (怪). They have clear personal worlds and handle a considerable volume of work." Four of them are active in the regional art scenes of Jeonju and Wanju.
The participating artists explore worlds encompassing sculpture and materiality based on calligraphy training. Their works, such as those created by repeatedly applying light brushstrokes to depict subtle ideas, convey emotional honesty, the balance between rules and freedom, and even social and human judgments.
Visit "Wanju Palgoe," the essence of Korean painting’s goe (怪), and immerse yourself in a new artistic experience.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
