Korea in Color: A Legacy of Auspicious Images at the San Diego Museum of Art

 by Patricia Frischer

Park Hyomin, 2014-16 (detail)

Korea in Color: A Legacy of Auspicious Images, the exhibition at the San Diego Museum of Art showing until March 3, 2024 demonstrates the influence of the very colorful Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910) works of art on contemporary Korean painting.  Black ink paintings dominated in the period in between then and now, but that seemingly has all changed. What has not changed is how traditional themes and the symbols that represent those themes are still highly important to current artists.

Those themes include protection offered by animals, abundance and longevity in the garden, scholarly objects and books and the appreciation of majestic mountains. These are the four divisions that help us place contemporary art in the context of Korean culture.   I have included the dates of the works since so many of them look ancient, but are made in the 21st Century.  

Theme 1: Byeoksa, protection against evil spirits

Park Hyomin, 2014-16

Seongpa, 2012

Oh Yoon, 1985

                                                           Oh Yoon, 1985

Stone Johnson, 2021

Stone Johnson, 2021

Oh Soonkyung, 2020-21

Oh Soonkyung, 2020-21

Oh Soonkyung, 2020-21

Oh Soonkyung, 2020-21

Oh Soonkyung, 2020-21

Oh Soonkyung, 2020-21

Theme 2: Gilsang, good fortune

Yoon Jungwon, 2022

Kim Chonghak 2006

Kim Chonghak, 2006 (detail)

Kim Yongchul, 2007-23 

Kim Yongchul, 2007-23 (detail)

Naomi, 2014

Naomi, 2014 (detail)

Theme 3: Gyohun, edification

Artist Unknown, 19th Century

Hong Kyoungtack, 2017-22

Kim Hyegyung, 2021

Kim Hyegyung, 2021

Theme 4: Gamsang, appreciation

Lee Youngsil, 2022

Lee Heungduk, 2010

Song Kyutae, 2014

Song Kyutae, 2014 (detail)

Lee Sookja,2000, 2014-15

Ahn Sangsoo, 2018

Ahn, Seongmin, 2023

The most surprising thing about this exhibition was how if informed my view of contemporary Korean Art. I really never thought about Korea as a creative community.  

Korea in Color: A Legacy of Auspicious Images, 
showing until March 3, 2024
The San Diego Museum of Art
1450 El Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA
Monday-Tue, Thurs – Sat: 10: - 5:00
Wednesday: Closed
Sunday: 12: - 5:00