Her Unique Blend of Eastern and Western Art Styles Continues to Be Celebrated in the Korean Art World Today.
Wook-Kyung Choi was a prominent Western-style painter in Korea during the 1940s. She was born in 1910 in Seoul, Korea, and was the first Korean artist to graduate from the Tokyo Art School in Japan. She also studied at the Fine Arts School of the French Protectorate in Hanoi, Vietnam.
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| ▲ Wook-Kyung CHOI, Untitled, Year unknown, 61 x 50 cm, Courtesy of Kukje Gaellery. |
Choi's works were known for their realism and use of bright colors, often depicting everyday life in Korea. She was influenced by Western art movements such as Fauvism and Post-Impressionism, and her paintings were praised for their unique blend of Eastern and Western art styles. She was a pioneer in the Korean art scene, which was heavily dominated by traditional Korean painting at the time.
In the 1940s, Choi was active in the art world as a member of the Korean Art Association and the Korea Fine Arts Federation. She participated in numerous exhibitions both in Korea and abroad, including the 2nd National Art Exhibition in 1941, the 4th and 5th Art Exhibition of Joseon Fine Arts Association in 1941 and 1944, and the 6th Tokyo Fine Arts Exhibition in 1943.
However, the Japanese colonial occupation of Korea during this period had a significant impact on Choi's life and career. She was forced to change her name to a Japanese one, as were many other Koreans at the time. Despite this, Choi continued to create and exhibit her paintings, even under the difficult circumstances of the wartime occupation.
After Korea's liberation from Japan in 1945, Choi became a professor at Seoul National University and continued to be an active member of the art community until his death in 1983. She works can be found in many prominent Korean museums, including the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul. Choi's contributions to the Western-style art movement in Korea during the 1940s and her unique blending of Eastern and Western art styles continue to be recognized and celebrated in the Korean art world today.
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Maria Kim, sayart2022@gmail.com
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