There is a saying, "Seohwa dongwon (書畵同源)," meaning "calligraphy and painting share the same origin." During the Joseon Dynasty, scholars were expected to write and paint freely to express their thoughts and emotions.
A special exhibition offering a glimpse into how calligraphy and painting that began at the brush tips of scholars evolved into contemporary Korean painting is now underway. Titled "The Fragrance of Orchids Travels a Thousand Li on the Wind," the special exhibition of modern and contemporary calligraphy and painting from the collection is being held in the third gallery of the Seoul Calligraphy Art Museum at the Seoul Arts Center. Centered on some 20 works of modern and contemporary calligraphy and painting in the Seoul Arts Center collection, the exhibition surveys the flow from Joseon literati painting to contemporary Korean painting. Visitors can examine how the Four Gracious Plants (sagunja), which symbolized the integrity and spirit of scholars, transformed into contemporary art embodying "the originality of the artist."
The exhibition title was inspired by "Nanhyang cheolli, inhyang malli (蘭香千里 人香萬里)," meaning "the fragrance of orchids spreads a thousand li." The Seoul Arts Center said, "It captures the flow in which paintings of the Four Gracious Plants, such as orchids, which once symbolized the integrity of scholars, continued through the Japanese colonial era and the liberation period into the distinctive formative worlds of contemporary artists."
The exhibition is largely composed of two sessions. Part 1 begins with "Mukran seonmyeon," an orchid painting drawn on a fan by Heungseon Daewongun Yi Ha-eung, the father of Joseon's King Gojong in the late Joseon era. The painting by Heungseon Daewongun, said to have been especially skilled at painting orchids, is a key work representing this exhibition. Kim Eung-won's "Orchid" inherits Heungseon Daewongun's style while displaying its own distinctive coloration.
"Gimyeong jeolji daeryeon" by Sim Jeon An Jung-sik, the last court painter of Joseon, symbolically demonstrates the characteristics of late Joseon works of the Four Gracious Plants. Also of interest is the introduction of painters' lineages centered on Wichang Oh Se-chang's "Geunyeok seohwasa."
Even during the turbulent era of Japanese colonial rule, artists pressed forward, exchanging ideas through their brushes. "Hapjakdo Chilga mukmyo (合作圖 七家墨妙)," painted jointly by masters of the modern art world including Jo Seok-jin, vividly shows these figures who united through art even in an age of turmoil.
Part 2 introduces the formative world built as Korean painting expanded into the contemporary era after liberation. Park No-soo's "Jeoljin" is set against a single pine tree, carrying the meaning of "severing the clamor of the secular world." Building on traditional ink painting, it adds clear and transparent colors to capture a beauty that is both contemporary and Korean. In the lower right of the painting remains a record that the work was painted to celebrate the opening of the Seoul Arts Center in 1993. This too is a case of seohwa dongwon. Suh Se-ok's "Group Dance," meanwhile, is credited with opening a new path for Korean contemporary art through the bold deployment of dots and lines. The painting is familiar to the general public, as it was used as the stage curtain image for the Seoul Arts Center's Opera Theater.
The gallery is also notable for creating an eco-friendly space using reusable paper wall panels. Related events are also offered, including "Making a Collaborative Painting," in which visitors complete a single painting together, and a free docent program. The exhibition runs through July 5.
