Sayart.net - MMCA Donated Collection: Figurative Paintings in Korea, 1960s-1970s

  • September 06, 2025 (Sat)

MMCA Donated Collection: Figurative Paintings in Korea, 1960s-1970s

Nao Yim / Published May 26, 2024 09:21 PM
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▲ A Fisherman's Family, 1975, Kim Hyungkoo


Among the collections, The MMCA held an exhibition to re-examine the works of figurative painting from the 1960s to the 1970s, when it led Korea's figurative painting culture.

Since the 1960s, abstraction has become a trend in contemporary Korean art, and figurative art has not received much attention or is considered outdated.

▲ Still Life, 1977, Kim Souckchin

Even in such an era, some artists steadily developed their world of work in the realm of figurative painting.

Despite the emergence of a new formative concept, this expression style, which depicts the way it appears to be a selective gaze, has firmly strengthened the culture of Korean painting.

▲ Chrysanthemums, 1958, TO Sangbong

In particular, the artists exhibited at this exhibition have led Korean painting culture based on their lyricality and realistic expressions of nature.

The exhibition features 33 artists and 150 works with the unique lyricism that everyone sympathizes with.

▲ Woman in a Red Dress, 1965, Kim Insoong

In the exhibition, Korean figurative paintings from the 1960s to the 1970s, relatively neglected among donated works between 2018 and 2023, are introduced based on the flow of Korean art history and the artist's birth year.

Through the exhibition, visitors can examine the basis and journey of Korean figurative paintings that have been developed in various ways.

▲ Dried Fishes, 1979, Kim Tai
The exhibition will be held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Gwacheon until Sept. 22, with an admission fee of 2,000 won.

Sayart / Nao Yim, yimnao@naver.com 

▲ A Fisherman's Family, 1975, Kim Hyungkoo


Among the collections, The MMCA held an exhibition to re-examine the works of figurative painting from the 1960s to the 1970s, when it led Korea's figurative painting culture.

Since the 1960s, abstraction has become a trend in contemporary Korean art, and figurative art has not received much attention or is considered outdated.

▲ Still Life, 1977, Kim Souckchin

Even in such an era, some artists steadily developed their world of work in the realm of figurative painting.

Despite the emergence of a new formative concept, this expression style, which depicts the way it appears to be a selective gaze, has firmly strengthened the culture of Korean painting.

▲ Chrysanthemums, 1958, TO Sangbong

In particular, the artists exhibited at this exhibition have led Korean painting culture based on their lyricality and realistic expressions of nature.

The exhibition features 33 artists and 150 works with the unique lyricism that everyone sympathizes with.

▲ Woman in a Red Dress, 1965, Kim Insoong

In the exhibition, Korean figurative paintings from the 1960s to the 1970s, relatively neglected among donated works between 2018 and 2023, are introduced based on the flow of Korean art history and the artist's birth year.

Through the exhibition, visitors can examine the basis and journey of Korean figurative paintings that have been developed in various ways.

▲ Dried Fishes, 1979, Kim Tai
The exhibition will be held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Gwacheon until Sept. 22, with an admission fee of 2,000 won.

Sayart / Nao Yim, yimnao@naver.com 

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