Im Geun-jun (Lee Jung-woo), a Seoul-born critic who has long observed Korean contemporary art, suffers from borderline Asperger's syndrome, and is an openly bisexual, surveys the past and present of Daegu and Gyeongbuk art from a perspective beyond boundaries. Premised on a special affection for the art of Daegu and Gyeongbuk, he does so objectively yet with bias.

1910s: The Beginning of Our Modern Calligraphy and Painting, Like a Very Unfamiliar Foreign Land

A prominent pillar of the history of modern art in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions is the tradition of the modern calligraphy and painting movement and the history of the abstract art movement based on it. Therefore, in light of the crisis facing Korean painting today, it is regrettable that the pioneers of the past and the values they established are being somewhat forgotten.

In the history of modern Korean art, the trends of the Japanese colonial era have been viewed in a biased manner. Consequently, the movements of Haegang Kim Gyu-jin, a native of Junghwa, South Pyongan Province, and the Calligraphy and Painting Research Society he led, as well as the new trend of exploring Southern School painting in Honam—specifically, the Unrimsanbang art world of Uijae Heo Baek-ryeon and Namnong Heo Geon, who are known to have inherited the style of the late Joseon painter Sochi Heo Ryeon—are rarely discussed in depth. This bias inevitably arose because the leadership of history was shaped around the network of the Calligraphy and Painting Association.

Even students majoring in Korean painting wear indifferent expressions when discussing the historical significance of Suam Kim Yu-tak, a calligrapher and painter born in Pyeongan Province, who opened the Suam Seohwagwan in 1906—known as the first commercial gallery—or the work of Oh Se-chang, a patriot born in Haeju, Hwanghae Province, who investigated and organized the works of past calligraphers and painters, collected and researched old calligraphy and paintings, and compiled the results into the draft of the *Geunyeok Seohwajing** in 1917. In this way, our past remains a very unfamiliar foreign land.

* Subsequently, *Geunyeok Seohwajing*, published by the Gyemyung Club in 1928, contains records and annotations on 1,117 pre-modern calligraphers and painters. Oh Se-chang was a figure who also provided guidance to Gansong Jeon Hyeong-pil, enabling him to establish his collection and found Bohwagak (Gansong Art Museum) in 1937. This masterpiece from the era of collectors and connoisseurs served as a stepping stone for the subsequent activities of formal art historians.

Even students majoring in Korean painting wear indifferent expressions.

Thus, our past remains a very strange foreign land.

1920s: Modernizing Traditional Calligraphy and Painting

In 1915, the same year Go Hui-dong, born into a family in Seoul during the Enlightenment period, returned home after graduating from Tokyo School of Fine Arts, Kim Gyu-jin established the Seohwa Research Society, which stood in contrast to the Seohwa Art Society. At the time, only a small number of calligraphers and painters accepted women as disciples, but true to his nature as a modernist from Pyeongan Province, he accepted women as students as well. The year 1915 also marked the beginning of the official use of terms such as Western painting and Eastern painting, coinciding with the opening of the 'Joseon Products Exhibition Commemorating the Fifth Anniversary of Administration' hosted by the Government-General of Korea. At this time, the Government-General Art Museum* also opened at Gyeongbokgung Palace.

After liberation, it was renamed the Gyeongbokgung Art Museum and hosted the National Art Exhibition, and from this, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art was also launched in 1969.

In 1921, when the Calligraphy and Painting Association held its first exhibition, the first specialized art magazine, the *Seohwahoehoebo*, was also founded. However, the very next year, in 1922, Seo Byeong-o and others organized the Gyonam Calligraphy and Painting Research Society in Daegu. This was just before the first "Joseon Art Exhibition" organized by the Japanese Government-General of Korea was held. It was also in 1922 that Lee Gyu-chae and Kim Gwon-su established the Changsin Calligraphy and Painting Research Society (Gyusu Calligraphy and Painting Research Society), the first educational institution for women in calligraphy and painting, in Gongpyeong-dong, Seoul. Since it was in 1923 that Lee Sang-beom, No Su-hyeon, Lee Yong-woo, and Byeon Gwan-sik formed the *Dongyeonsa* and began pursuing the modernization of traditional painting, this period can be considered the decisive era of the modern calligraphy and painting movement.

Korea's first Korean painting association.

These diverse currents promoting the modernization of the calligraphy and painting tradition led to a movement to localize and incorporate Western painting into Joseon art. In 1928, Park Gwang-jin, Kim Ju-gyeong, Sim Yeong-seop, Jang Seok-pyo, and others established the *Nokhyanghoe*, advocating for the localization of Western modern art. During this period, Sim Yeong-seop’s *Theory of Asian Art*, which viewed Kandinsky as returning to the Eastern spirit, caused a great stir; this was an attempt to inherit and revitalize the spiritual world of calligraphy and painting through Western modern art. However, the following year, in 1929, Seo Se-ok, who would later lead the ink abstraction movement, was born into a family of classical scholars in Daegu. Looking into the flow of history, it sometimes feels as though the hand of God is at work.

An art group in which Park Gwang-jin and Kim Ju-gyeong, graduates of the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, and Sim Young-seop and Jang Seok-pyo, who were self-taught in Seoul, participated as founding members. It is regarded as the first group of full-fledged Western-style painters.

In 1929, Seo Se-ok, who would later lead the ink abstract painting movement, was born into a family of classical scholars in Daegu.

If you look into the flow of history, sometimes the hand of God

It also feels like we are together.

During the Japanese colonial period, in addition to the Seoul art scene, the Yeongnam, Pyongyang, and Honam art circles had already established their own influence and become active (in some ways, one even thinks they were better off than today). The Yeongnam art circle was led by Seo Byeong-o, Kim Jin-man, Bae Hyo-won, and Seo Dong-gyun, who were influenced by Chusa Kim Jeong-hui through Daewongun Yi Ha-eung. Thanks to the aristocratic culture of Yeongnam, they established a lineage of spirituality centered on calligraphy and the Four Gentlemen (plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum). However, there was the issue that it was difficult to include those of non-aristocratic origin or the enlightened middle class.

The Gyonam Poetry, Calligraphy, and Painting Research Society, established on January 22, 1922, under the leadership of Seokjae Seo Byeong-o, set forth goals such as opening a calligraphy and painting exhibition, establishing and operating a training center, hosting lectures, and founding a library. It pursued a full-scale regional art movement. The Gyonam Poetry, Calligraphy, and Painting Research Society opened its first exhibition in May 1922.

Seo Byeong-o was skilled in poetry, calligraphy, and painting, and was also excellent at playing the geomungo, Go, Janggi, medicine, and eloquence, earning him the title of "Palneung Geosa" (Eight-Talented Layman); he was also enthusiastic about social activities. In 1906, he participated as a founding member in the establishment of Gwangmunsa, a self-strengthening organization in Daegu, and in 1907, as a council member of the Anti-Smoking and Debt Repayment Society, he became a founding member of the National Debt Repayment Movement. In 1933, when painter Seo Dong-jin proposed holding a solo exhibition for his student Lee In-seong titled "Genius Boy Painter Lee In-seong," Seo Byeong-o was one of the prominent figures in the Daegu region who lent his support.

It was an organization formed to take charge of the Daegu National Debt Redemption Movement and collected donations.

Seo Dong-gyun, a disciple of Seo Byeong-o, established the 'Hyangtohoe' in 1931 along with Seo Dong-jin, Kim Yong-jin, Choi Hwa-su, Park Myeong-jo, Choi Yu-geun, and Han Seong-jun, leading the regionalist art movement. Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that Lee In-seong’s achievements in art with a regional character and his honor of winning the top prize, the Changdeokgung Award, at the 1935 Seonjeon Exhibition for his entry 'In the Valleys of Gyeongju' were all the result of the previous generation's diligent efforts in tilling the field and sowing the seeds.

Suh Byeong-o and Suh Se-ok, Kim Kyu-jin and Lee Ung-no… and women

Seo Byeong-o was a contemporary of Kim Gyu-jin, and they shared many unexpected commonalities. Both traveled to China and Japan, associated with various calligraphers and painters, and displayed qualities of internationalists. They also shared the influence of the Chinese calligrapher and painter Wu Changshuo (1844–1927). When looking at their bamboo paintings, Kim Gyu-jin’s works exude a sublime aura that goes beyond mere boldness, whereas Seo Byeong-o’s works possess a bold yet refined elegance. Seo Byeong-o’s Four Gentlemen paintings surpassed even those of Daewongun, revealing a realm of divine grace, yet this artistic lineage was not well preserved thereafter. With Seo Byeong-o, born in 1862, passing away in 1935, and Kim Gyu-jin, born in 1968, in 1933, their legacies had already been significantly disrupted by the latter half of the colonial era.

While many lament the lack of a Seo Byeong-oh Art Museum in Daegu, I believe that the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art or the National Museum of Korea should prioritize holding retrospectives of Seo Byeong-oh and Kim Kyu-jin based on long-term research. Fortunately, the Daegu Museum of Art laid the groundwork for basic research in 2017 by hosting the exhibition *Opening Daegu Art: Seokjae Seo Byeong-oh* and the accompanying academic conference, *The Life and Art of Seokjae Seo Byeong-oh*. Now, it is time to shed new light on him and his legacy from outside the confines of Daegu.

The fact that women were not granted the initiative in the post-war ink abstract movement is

This is because there was no process of critically sublimating the Yeongnam literati tradition.

However, the fact that Seo Byeong-o became a role model in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions, particularly his proficiency in classical Chinese poetry, feels like an insurmountable barrier for the next generation. After all, the image of a scholar-official skilled in poetry, calligraphy, and painting is neither achievable in modern society nor is there any compelling reason to do so. The denial of leadership to women in the post-war ink abstract painting movement stems from the lack of a process to critically sublimate the tradition of the Yeongnam scholar-officials.

Even considering that the great modern artist Lee Ungno emerged from Kim Kyu-jin, who was closer to the ideal of a modern artist, there is a distinct difference between the two successors. Among Seo Byeong-oh's disciples, Kim Jin-man and Seo Dong-gyun left a distinct mark, but they left something to be desired in terms of modern innovation in the world of calligraphy and painting. Sanjeong Seo Se-ok could be cited as Seo Byeong-oh's spiritual disciple. Perhaps this is also why the Seokjae Seo Byeong-oh Memorial Society awarded Seo Se-ok the Seokjae Culture Prize in 2022, marking the 100th anniversary of the Gyonam Poetry and Calligraphy Society.

In 1960, the year of the April 19 Revolution, the Muklimhoe, led by Seo Se-ok, held its inaugural exhibition at the Central Public Information Center. The Muklimhoe criticized the conservatism of the established Oriental painting circles, the abuses of grand exhibitions, and the factionalism within the art world stemming from the conflict between the Korean Fine Arts Association and the Korean Artists Association. In accordance with the spirit of "inheriting the old and creating the new," they launched an ink (semi)abstract movement. Beyond the creative activities of the Muklimhoe members, it is clear that this period was a good opportunity to modernize and develop the tradition of calligraphy and painting, particularly when Seo Se-ok expelled Jang Woo-sung and Noh Su-hyeon from the faculty in 1962 by branding them pro-Japanese concubines and living with mistresses, and subsequently became a professor at Seoul National University himself. However, after the dissolution of the Muklimhoe in 1965, as he reigned as a powerful figure in the art world and the university, the achievements of ink abstraction left by Seo Se-ok once again became a source of oppression and a barrier for the younger generation.

The Muklimhoe generally produced semi-abstract works rather than completely abstract ones. They exhibited semi-abstract works at the Muklimhoe Members' Exhibition and abstract works at the National Art Exhibition.

New Ink Abstraction: Beyond Classical Chinese Poetry to Modern Poetry, Toward the Non-Yangban Class and Women

The remaining task, then, is clear: to step over the outdated authority of ink abstraction and pave the way for new innovation. The new contemporary calligraphy and painting of the 2020s must restore ties with groups such as Seo Byeong-oh’s Gyonam Poetry, Calligraphy, and Painting Research Society and Kim Gyu-jin’s Calligraphy and Painting Research Society, and move forward more boldly toward the future. It must abandon its blind obsession with classical Chinese poetry and contemplate building a world of calligraphy and painting that integrates with the global flow of contemporary poetry. Furthermore, it must rediscover female calligraphers and painters and strive to support artists from non-aristocratic classes. The world of old gentlemen merely mimicking the aristocracy should have been hastily dismantled and completely liquidated in the latter half of the 20th century.

It is said that the Gyonam Poetry, Calligraphy, and Painting Research Society was not an organization that opened its doors only to people from the Yeongnam region.

I believe that in the 21st century, we can paint a picture of greater hospitality and inclusion based on that legacy.

From this perspective, the value standards of the Seokjae Seo Byeong-o Memorial Society may seem somewhat narrow. Shouldn't it be right to encompass artists such as Kim Ho-deuk (1950–), Lee Bae (1956–), and Kim Hye-ryeon (1964–), who have directly challenged the literati tradition of calligraphy and painting while exploring traditional values on a more modern level? Shouldn't we establish a framework that even welcomes Kim Hwa-hyeon (1978–), who has attempted to revise the male-centered tradition of calligraphy and painting from a feminist standpoint, in order to secure a network that extends from Daegu to the world? It is said that the Gyonam Poetry, Calligraphy, and Painting Research Society was not an organization that opened its doors only to people from the Yeongnam region. Given that calligraphers and painters from across the country interacted through a group within Daegu, I believe that in the 21st century, we can paint a picture of even greater hospitality and inclusion based on that legacy.

Illustration | Three artists gathered in Daegu. Kim Ho-deuk and the late Seo Se-ok were born in Daegu, while Lee Bae was born in Cheongdo. Behind the figures, their respective works were displayed.

*Photo credit: Im Geun-jun

** External contributions to the Editorial Department are intended to provide a multifaceted perspective on local culture and industry and may differ from the views of the Editorial Department.

Im Geun-jun

In today's world, where contemporary art is collapsing and deconstructing, he writes the art history of Korea and Asia based on persistent historical research. He studied design and art at Seoul National University and worked as a curator, editor-in-chief, and LGBTQ activist. Meanwhile, his Instagram account, @crazyseoul, serves as a chalet of the diverse human figures he observes daily. Posts dated October 28, 2022, when this profile was written, include images of the Christ the Redeemer statue, hypertrophic idols, a meme of Xi Jinping resembling Winnie the Pooh, and the obituary of Pierre Soulages.