National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul

Artist’s Books & Abstract Paintings of Yun Hyong-keun

During our visit in Korea, in the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul we have seen several good exhibitions, like “Civilisation: The Way We Live Now” – large-scale international photography exhibition with 300 works; “Choijeonghwa – Blooming Matrix”; “Korea Artist Prize 2018”, and others. But one exhibition was absolutely fantastic – Retrospective of Yun Hyong-keun. In the separate spaces were exhibited few artist’s books of Yun Hyong-keun with several small paintings on the paper, and sixty wonderful abstract paintings.

Artist’s books of of Yun Hyong-keun

Maybe someone would say that it was simple the sketchbook of an artist, with whom I disagree. If we would look with such an attitude on artists’ creation, we would have to say that artist’s books made by Dieter Roth also are simple diaries, William Blake – small publisher, the famous artist’s book of Paul Gauguin “Noa Noa” – the simply diary from Tahiti, artist’s book of Pierre Bonnard “Parallèlement” printed by Ambroise Vollard in 1900 – book of nice illustrations… What about Yves Klein “Yves Peintures”, published by Éditions Dilecta in 1954 or Josef Albers “Formulation: Articulation” published by Harry N. Abrams in 1972.

Yun Hyong-keun in 1973

Yun Hyong-keun (1928-2007), after many year in the prisons and exile, was amongst the leading figures of the Korean Dansaekhwa art movement. “Inspired by nature, his paintings combine a palette of umber and ultramarine to create rectilinear compositions, reminiscent of traditional ink-wash paintings.” wrote Simon Lee.

Yun Hyong-keun painting from the exhibition in Seoul

The brilliant artist Yun Hyong-keun was born in 1928 in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, in Korea. He lives in tragic periods of Korean history, many year have been in different prisons, escaped from executing by firing squad, again was ‘discovered’ and sent to Seodaemun Prison.

Exhibition of Yun Hyong-keun in Seoul

Kestutis Vasiliunas

More text & 18 photos from the exhibition of Yun Hyong-keun

© Photos: 2Cent.

© Artist’s Book Creators 2018