Lotte Museum of Art to host first major exhibition of Jean-Michel Basquiat in Seoul

South Korea‘s largest-ever exhibition of works by Jean-Michel Basquiat -- the American contemporary artist known for his rebellious style -– will open in October at the Lotte Museum of Art in Songpa district, southeastern Seoul. Titled “Royalty, Heroism and the Streets,” the exhibition will showcase 150 paintings, sculptures and drawings made by Basquiat and run from Oct. 8 to Feb 7, 2021. Basquiat was the first African American artist to establish a reputation in the

July 20, 2020

KF holds photo exhibition jointly with Korean, Ukrainian artists

The Korea Foundation is holding a modern photography exhibition titled “KREAtive Perspectives” in conjunction with the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Korea, starting Monday. The exhibition will run until Sept. 23 at the KF Gallery in central Seoul. The title “KREAtive Perspectives” derives from the combination of the word “creative” and K, R, E and A from the two countries’ English names, Korea and Ukraine. The main theme of the exhibition

July 19, 2020

Lee Ung-no reaches international audience through Google Arts & Culture platform

Artworks by Lee Ung-no (1904-1989) – a modern artist who created his unique style by successfully integrating Korean painting traditions with Western art -- are now available on the online platform of Google Arts & Culture for international audiences. Lee Ungno Museum collaborated with Google Arts & Culture to showcase the artist and his artworks. Lee is the first Korean artist extensively introduced by the Google’s online art platform in collaboration with a local museum

July 18, 2020

Japanese artist Chiharu holds first gallery exhibition in Korea

Gana Art, a major commercial art gallery in Korea, is hosting a solo exhibition of Japanese installation artist Chiharu Shiota -- widely known for giant installation works with entangled threads -- at its two branches, the Gana Art Center and Gana Art Nineone in Seoul. The artist, who is based in Berlin, expresses her emotions about relationship with others by weaving wool yarns. Her large-scale web which is woven with red wool yarns fills the 150-square-meter exhibition hall at Gana Art in J

July 17, 2020

Painting album by Joseon master painter fails to find new owner

A painting album by Jeong Seon (1676-1759), an artist hailed as a Joseon-era master of landscape painting, failed to find a new owner Wednesday at an auction held by K Auction in Sinsa-dong, southern Seoul. The bidding started at 5 billion won ($4.2 million), which itself would have been the highest price for an antique painting.  Designated as Treasure No. 1,796, the painting album of Haeak Palgyeong and Songyu Palhyeondo comprises 16 paintings by Jeong Seon -- eight of Kumgangsan in tod

July 15, 2020

Annual Yeowoorak Festival to continue via online platform

The National Theater of Korea announced Tuesday it would continue its annual Yeowoorak Festival online as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. The state-run theater will live stream a total of six performances of the 2020 Yeowoorak Festival via Naver TV and YouTube without live audiences. The festival which kicks off Thursday will run until July 25. The six performances -- “Master&Master,” “I and My Fellow Traveler,” “Such is Life,” “Four Individual

July 14, 2020

MMCA Gwacheon to revitalize outdoor space with installation

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea announced Monday it has selected installation work “The Surface,” designed by stpmj, an architectural practice based in both Seoul and New York, for its MMCA Gwacheon Project 2020. “I hope MMCA’s Gwacheon venue could function as an outdoor shelter for visitors, providing fun and rest during the pandemic times with the installation work,” MMCA Director Youn Bummo said. The Gwacheon venue is located just so

July 13, 2020

Eva Armisen’s paintings about happiness, family offer comfort

Spanish painter Eva Armisen, known as an “artist drawing happiness” in Korea, is showcasing her work in Seoul to offer comfort amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. The exhibition “Eva Armisen Vida” at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Gwanghwamun in central Seoul displays around 150 oil paintings, drawings, installations and media art by Armisen. The exhibition celebrating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and S

July 12, 2020

[Herald Interview] Expanding Korea’s presence in global art world

Gallery Hyundai, an art gallery with a 50-year history, is set to embark on the next phase of its legacy, presenting Korean art to the international art scene. Founded as Hyundai Hwarang in 1970 by Park Myung-ja, the gallery was an art base for Korea’s representative modern artists. It was a place where artists and art-related figures gathered to talk and meet when there was no such place to do so here. Gallery Hyundai touts itself as a pioneer and catalyst for the arts community, paving

July 11, 2020

Traditional tableware adds whimsy with Line Friends

On the surface of white pottery is an illustration of a bear and a duckling playing surrounded by mokbuyong flowers, a type of lotus. The illustration is painted with blue pigments. The bear is a character named Brown and the duckling is Sally, both from global character brand Line Friends, while the lotus flowers represent Korean premium tableware brand Kwangjuyo. The blue and white color coordination stems from a traditional pottery style especially popular during the late Joseon era. The

July 11, 2020

Students may wear hanbok uniforms from October

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Crafts & Design Foundation (KCDF) announced Thursday the 22 middle and high schools that will adopt hanbok-inspired school uniforms from as early as October. The hanbok-inspired school uniforms project began in February last year when the Culture Ministry and the Ministry of Education signed a memorandum of understanding to develop hanbok-inspired school uniforms. Of the 50 schools across the nation that applied for the project, 2

July 11, 2020

Hermes has upper hand in lawsuit against Korean fashion label

French luxury fashion house Hermes gained the upper hand in a lawsuit against Korean fashion label Playnomore, alleging copyright infringement of its signature handbags Kelly and Birkin. Playnomore is recognized for its use of neon colors and “eyeball bags.” The Supreme Court on Thursday confirmed a ruling saying that Playnomore violated the act of “unfair competition,” copying Hermes’ iconic handbag designs. The Supreme Court returned the case to the Seoul High

July 10, 2020

Horim Museum unveils folk paintings on books, letters

Horim Museum is holding an exhibition introducing paintings on books and letters as the first installment of its three-part series on folk paintings from the Joseon era (1392-1910). The exhibition “The Scenery of Bookshelves Chaekgeori and Munjado” held at the Sinsa branch of Horim Museum, located in Gangnam, southern Seoul, showcases nearly 40 paintings of “chaekgeori” and “munjado” from the Joseon era as the first engagement of its “minhwa” ex

July 8, 2020

Culture Station Seoul 284 to unveil ‘New Discovery of Travel’ exhibition online

Culture Station Seoul 284 will unveil the “New Discovery of Travel” exhibition online on Wednesday at 8 p.m. Audiences can enjoy the online content during the “2020 Special Travel Week” which runs from July 1 through July 19 on Culture Station Seoul 284’s YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/seoul284official). The exhibition is themed around the question of “Why do we travel?” It was originally scheduled to run from June 23 to Aug. 8, but the opening wa

July 7, 2020

[Museum of One’s Own] At age of 90, Park Seo-bo pioneers new phase of life

The following is part of a series that explores museums dedicated to Korea’s well-known contemporary artists that bear their name. --Ed. A white porcelain moon jar, which resembles a full moon with its bluish hue, sits alone at the entrance hall at the Gizi Art Base in western Seoul, a place dedicated to contemporary art master Park Seo-bo. “I do love the Korean moon jars. The jars are created through a repetitive movement on a pottery wheel, and the clay is the only ingredient. T

July 6, 2020

Lacquer artist Kim Deok-han finds self through repeated process

Kim Deok-han applies lacquer to his art. It is not just a simple craft, but spiritual work to look into himself. After repeatedly applying lacquer layers mixed with colored powder on an object such as a wood panel or aluminum that he has covered with linen, he rubs the surface with sandpaper. He explains the rubbing process is a spiritual action to look into himself. This artwork also reflects his belief that the current self is from the accumulated times of his past. “The whole proc

July 6, 2020

Colorful face masks gain popularity in Korea

Face masks featuring diverse colors and designs are gaining ground in Korea, as protective equipment is increasingly perceived as a fashion item. A growing number of social media users here are posting photos with fashionable face masks. More than 20,000 posts have been uploaded on Naver, Korea’s biggest portal, and similar mask-related photos are piling up on Instagram as well.  Last month, a fashion show was held in Gangnam, southern Seoul, showcasing various facial protection p

July 5, 2020

Goryeo mother-of-pearl lacquerware purchased from Japanese collector unveiled

The Cultural Heritage Administration on Thursday unveiled the “Goryeo Lacquered Box Inlaid with Mother-of-pearl Chrysanthemum and Scroll Design” previously held in Japan at the National Palace Museum of Korea. The artifact was returned to Korea in December last year. “Mother-of-pearl lacquerware with our 1,000-year history has returned. This artifact is our cultural heritage that contains our DNA,” head of CHA Chung Jae-suk said during a press conference held Thursday.

July 4, 2020

[The Arts and COVID-19] Turning adversity into opportunity

Sometimes a crisis turns into an opportunity. When COVID-19 began to spread across the country, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) quickly moved online in March, grabbing global attention for its digital content. More than 3,000 people viewed the museum‘s first live-streamed exhibition, its first calligraphy-only exhibition in its 51-year history, on the museum’s YouTube channel. “The Modern and Contemporary Korean Writing,” a 80-minute cur

July 1, 2020

[Best Brand] Promising designer Ye Myung-ji inspired by Korean traditional ornaments, birth of universe

JEWELRY YEMYUNGJI Jewelry brand Yemyungji is coming to prominence on the global stage with unique design collections that reflect traditional Korean ornaments and the birth of the universe. Founded by designer Ye Myung-ji in 1998, the jewelry brand has established its uniqueness, showcasing signature design collections such as “Line,” “Space,” “Mineral,” and “Tradition” inspired by the nature, tradition and universe. Ye reinterpreted Korea&r

June 30, 2020