In the 1990’s, Ha Dong Chul (1946-2006), a leading Korean abstract artist, sought to represent the essential nature of creation through an examination of “light.” The resulting series of paintings bear his trademark synthesis of Western Modernism and native Korean technique. Ha used the “plucked ink line,” the age-old tool of the Korean carpenter and stonemason, to mark his canvasses with diagonal stripes. His bold, primary colors come directly from… Read More

Choong Supim builds bridges between different worlds. He combines sculpture, painting, and found objects to assert a harmony among contrasting concepts, such as the regimentation of modern civilization and a chaotic universe, urban and rural life, and the West and Korea. To Lim, the emphasis on distinctions conceals a deeper truth, which he seeks to uncover through an “emptying of self” and a patching of the “in-betweens.” The installation artwork… Read More

Create a lucky pouch (bok jumeoni), during this 4 week, 8 hour workshop with artists Wonju Seo and Karen Ahn. Using two traditional art forms, bojagi (patchwork) and maedeup (knotting), participants will make their own unique and lucky silk pouch. These bags were originally made as a substitute for pockets, since hanbok, Korean traditional clothes, have no pockets. This workshop meets for a total of 8 hours over four sessions:… Read More

After losing his parents and left hand to the Korean War, Park Dae Sung so loved art that by the age of ten he would rigorously and repeatedly copy ink-and-wash images and calligraphy from classic texts. This courageous young boy grew into an artist of visionary integrity, who, with deep gratitude to his artistic birthright, gracefully transcends imitation of his predecessors. Park Dae Sung achieves the traditional goal of the… Read More

Robert D. Mowry, Alan J. Dworsky Curator of Chinese Art Emeritus, Harvard Art Museums, and Senior Consultant on Chinese and Korean Art, Christie’s, New York, discusses the history and development of Korean ink paintings. This illustrated slide lecture presents an introductory overview of the development of Korean painting during the Koryŏ (918-1392) and Chosŏn (1392-1910) dynasties, covering all four major categories of work: Buddhist painting, literati painting (sometimes also called… Read More

Joan Kee, Associate Professor of History of Art at the University of Michigan and a leading authority on contemporary Asian art, presents an overview of important artists and developments in postwar Korean art, including the rise of performance art and the significance of ink painting. Kee points out that no clear-cut division exists between "modern" and "contemporary" in Korean art, and that this absence is not so much an omission… Read More

Celebrate Korea’s handicrafts and artistic traditions with adoptive parents Debbi Kent and Joan Suwalsky in a talk about their new book, 100 Thimbles in a Box: The Spirit and Beauty of Korean Handicrafts . The authors will share their experiences in researching and writing this beautiful book of nearly 500 photographs illustrating 44 traditional arts, including ceramics, fiber arts, paper, inlay, metal, wood, and painting, which they wrote to help… Read More

Daniel Sneider, Associate Director of Stanford’s Asia-Pacific Research Center, talks about his family’s long engagement with Korea. Lea Sneider has a passion for folk art: the ceramics, woodwork, paintings, and sculpture used and enjoyed in everyday life. While accompanying her husband, Richard L. Sneider, to his appointment as U.S. Ambassador to Korea in 1974, Mrs. Sneider became an avid explorer of the art galleries and museums of Seoul, Daegu, and… Read More

Lea Sneider has a passion for folk art: the ceramics, woodwork, paintings, and sculpture used and enjoyed in everyday life. While accompanying her husband, Richard L. Sneider, to his appointment as U.S. Ambassador to Korea in 1974, Mrs. Sneider became an avid explorer of the art galleries and museums of Seoul, Daegu, and Busan. She sought out scholars of the rich tradition of Korean folk art, a field largely unexplored… Read More

Po Kim’s artistic career was characterized by an ever-evolving style, and an eagerness to seek out new areas of inspiration. His paintings, often large in scale, were bold and compelling, bursting with life, energy, and emotion. This work distinguished Kim as one of the premier Korean-American artists of his time. When the artist died earlier this year, he left behind a strong legacy in his paintings, the innumerable artists he… Read More