Painter Park Jong-sook, known for her dreamy landscapes, has opened up a solo exhibition “Part of Memory” in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. The exhibition, which runs through April 11 at Glass Island Museum in Ansan, showcases her painting series under the theme “Part of Memory.” The artist’s semi-abstract paintings feature portraits of her mindscape derived from her childhood, a mixture of elements from nature including winding roads in rural areas, trees, farms and

Arts & Design Dec. 14, 2020

Some of the exhibited works for Korea Artist Prize 2020 at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, are under fire for including sex dolls. Works by visual artist Jung Yoon-suk are part of the exhibition for Korea Artist Prize 2020, co-organized by the MMCA and SBS Foundation. Four visual artists were selected earlier this year, and their works were unveiled at the MMCA Seoul venue on Dec. 4. At the center of the controversy is the two-hour documentary film “Tomorrow&

Arts & Design Dec. 13, 2020

The forgery scandal surrounding painting master Lee Ufan is opening yet another chapter, according to KBS investigative reporting TV show “Chang.” The TV newsmagazine, scheduled to air at 8:05 p.m. Saturday on KBS1, will look into alleged cases of fake paintings of Lee, South Korea’s leading Dansaekhwa artist and the pioneer of the Japanese Mono-Ha Movement. The investigative program claimed it has captured scenes where the artist’s forged works are traded in art circl

Arts & Design Dec. 12, 2020

The heartwarming Japanese novel “The Miracles of the Namiya General Store,” written by mystery writer Keigo Higashino, is coming to life in the real world. The novel, which centers on general store owner Namiya who communicates with neighbors through handwritten letters and offers sincere advice, has been a steady seller in South Korea since its 2012 release. In commemoration of the 100th printing, publisher Hyundae Munhak kicked off a project inspired by the story in collaborati

Arts & Design Dec. 12, 2020

An English-language documentary series on South Korean films, “K-Cineflex,” will air on Arirang TV from Thursday to Saturday, introducing popular Korean films and discussing the development of the Korean film industry. The 1994 film “Whiteman (Baeksaekin)” from Bong Joon-ho, the Oscar-winning director of “Parasite,” will be shown as part of the first episode Thursday at 10:30 p.m. The 16-minute film with English subtitles will be shown along with the directo

Film Dec. 10, 2020

Sohn Chang-kun, who has donated more than 300 important cultural heritage items that he collected throughout his life, was awarded the Order of Cultural Merit Geumgwan on Tuesday, becoming the first recipient of the country’s highest honor for cultural heritage preservation. “The honor is given to a contributor who has devoted at least 15 years to preserving Korea’s cultural heritage,” an official from the Cultural Heritage Administration told The Korea Herald. “

Arts & Design Dec. 9, 2020

Spaces underneath overpasses are neglected spaces, many of them left shabby and used as illegal parking spots. In Seoul alone, the total space underneath the nearly 200 highway overpasses is equivalent in area to about 55 percent of Yeouido, or 210 football fields. But only 10 percent of these spaces are used efficiently, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. “Compared to the density of the Seoul population, many public spaces like those underneath overpasses are left wasted

Arts & Design Dec. 7, 2020

Suh Se-ok, a leading artist who pioneered contemporary abstract ink painting, died on Nov. 29 at the age of 91. The announcement was belatedly made on Thursday after the family funeral was conducted in accordance with social distancing regulations out of consideration for the bereaved, according to the National Academy of Arts in Korea. Suh was born in 1929 in Daegu, North Gyeongsang Province, as a son of an independence activist who fought against Japanese colonialism during the Japanese c

Arts & Design Dec. 6, 2020

An ongoing exhibition in Seoul sheds light on plain yet delicate tea bowls that carry the spirit of pottery art from the Joseon era (1392-1910). Hakgojae Gallery has been holding the serial exhibition “Hak Go Chang Shin,” inspired by the four-character idiom “Beop Go Chang Sin,” meaning to create new things by learning from the old. As part of the series, the exhibition entitled “Spring and Autumn IV. Hwang Joong Tong Ri: Ceramic by Kim Jong Hun” highlight

Arts & Design Dec. 6, 2020

With the pandemic raging on for nearly a year, people are using more online delivery services for foods and daily necessities while staying at home. Although the new normal has brought a lot of convenience, more people have begun to feel uncomfortable about throwing away packaging and disposable plastic containers, and some have been pushing back against the deluge of disposables. “I bring my reusable containers for take-out food these days. It was sort of embarrassing at first to ask

Culture Dec. 5, 2020

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, kicked off its annual year-end MMCA Wishing Tree event Wednesday. Visitors to the Seoul venue are invited to make wishes for 2021 amid the pandemic situation. Visitors will be given pieces of paper to write their wishes on, which they can then tie to the MMCA Wishing Tree. Participants can also donate money to World Vision, an international humanitarian aid organization, to support art therapy for children at local institutions. The

Arts & Design Dec. 2, 2020

The Yeol Korean Heritage Preservation Society, a private organization dedicated to promoting Korean aesthetics and cultural heritage, will showcase pieces created by two artisans -- “gat” master Jung Choon-mo and ceramicist Kim Deok-ho. The exhibition “Lines/Layers” will open Dec. 1 at Yeol Bukchonga in central Seoul as part of the organization’s annual year-end showcasing of works by the winners of the Yeol Artisan of the Year and Yeol Young Craftsman of the Yea

Arts & Design Dec. 1, 2020

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea will stream its fourth online performance as part of the MMCA Live series planned to reach a wider range of audiences amid the pandemic. The fourth show will feature a performance by Korean synth pop group Adoy. The performance “MMCA Live X Adoy,” which took place at MMCA’s Cheongju location, will be released at 4 p.m. on Dec. 4 via the MMCA’s YouTube channel. MMCA has released the MMCA Live series starting wit

Arts & Design Nov. 27, 2020

Ha Chong-hyun is one of the few pioneers of abstract art in Korea who is still alive today. He is also a leading member of the “dansaekhwa” movement, which arose in the 1970s and is regarded as South Korea’s first collective art movement. This year the 84-year-old artist held solo exhibitions at home and in London, which he said were particularly special at a time when the pandemic has disrupted many art events around the world. The pandemic has led the artist to spend most

Arts & Design Nov. 26, 2020

Lee Seung-taek is a representative figure in the Korean experimental art scene who has challenged himself to make new attempts in his works since the 1950s, when the country was going through the turmoil of the Korean War and times of rapid industrialization. At a time when many artists tended to follow art trends popular in the West or Japan, some struggled to find characteristics of their own, delving into the Korean culture that was overlooked during the Japanese colonial era, with a belief

Arts & Design Nov. 25, 2020