Lee Jung-Seob (1916-56) was
born to a wealthy family in Pyeongwon, South Pyeongan Province in present-day
North Korea. After studying in Pyeongyang, Jeongju (in North Pyeongan Province,
North Korea), and Tokyo, he began his career as an artist in Japan during the
Japanese colonial period. He then returned to Wonsan, South Hamgyeong Province
(North Korea), where he was when Korea regained its independence in 1945.
Seeking refuge from the destruction of the Korean War (1950-1953), he fled to
various places, including Jeju Island and Busan. After the war, he continued
his migratory lifestyle, moving around between Tongyeong, Seoul, and Daegu,
before he died in 1956 at the age of 41. But no matter his whereabouts or the
dire circumstances of his living situation, Lee adamantly maintained his
passion for artistic creation.
Although his life coincided
with the most turbulent period of Korean contemporary history, marked by
colonial rule, war, and division, Lee persisted in living his life and
expressing himself as an artist. During
the colonial period, when signs of Korean heritage were actively
repressed by the Japanese, he boldly made paintings of bulls, a traditional
symbol of the Korean people. Even during his years of poverty, transience, and
warfare, he produced paintings that laughed at the harshness of reality, expressing
the blithe, childlike beauty of happy days spent with his family. After the
war, he turned his focus to bull paintings, imbued with a dynamism that
reflected his strong will and confidence. Above all, he aspired to be an honest
painter who faithfully expressed his emotions. He also wished to be the artist
of the Korean people by realizing the traditional aesthetics of his country.
But Lee's life was undoubtedly filled with tragedy; after being separated from
his family, he spent his final years in bleak solitude, suffering from mental
illness and anorexia, and falling into debt after being defrauded of his money.
Like so many other artists, he died alone, leaving behind a collection of
lonesome, plaintive works.
As this year marks the 100th
anniversary of Lee Jung-Seob's birth, as well
as the 60th anniversary of his death, the National Museum of Modern and
Contemporary Art is presenting its first solo exhibition of this extraordinary
artist. Covering the full trajectory of Lee's background and career, the
exhibition examines how he doggedly pursued his artistic vision despite the
oppressive violence and poverty of the era. By shedding new light on this
unsung artistic genius, this exhibition aims to inspire deeper contemplation on
the meaning of life and art.
Pyeongwon,
Pyeongyang, Jeongju, Tokyo, and Wonsan 1916-50
Born in September 1916 in
Pyeongwon, South Pyeongan Province, Lee Jung-Seob attended Jongno Primary
School in Pyeongyang, where his mother's family resided. He began his art
studies in 1930 at Osan High School in Jeongju (which was independently
financed by Korean people ), under the tutelage of Im Yongryeon (b. 1901), a
graduate of Yale University.
In 1936, Lee went to Tokyo
to continue his art education, studying first at the Imperial Art Institute and
then at Bunka Gakuin from 1937 to 1941. At a time when Japan was predominantly
conservative, Bunka Gakuin, a private school, was known for its very liberal
atmosphere. While studying there, Lee joined some of his elder classmates who
showed their works at an exhibition organized by the Association of Free
Artists (Jiyu bijutsuka kyokai) . After his exhibited works drew praise from
several important critics, Lee was invited to join the Association of Free
Artists.
In 1941, Lee formed the Association
of New Artists (Shin bijutsuka kyokai) with other Korean artists in Japan,
including Lee Qoedee, Jin Hwan, Choi Jaedeok, and Kim Jongchan. The group held
an exhibition in Tokyo, which was well
received by the art field.
With the Pacific War reaching
its apex in 1943, Lee returned to his family in Wonsan, Korea. In May 1945,
just before Korea regained its independence, Lee married Yamamoto Masako, a
Japanese woman whom he had met at Bunka Gakuin.
Seogwipo
and Busan 1950-53
With the outbreak of the
Korean War in June 1950, Wonsan began to be bombed, forcing Lee to flee to
Busan in December 1950. He brought his wife and two sons with him, but was
forced to leave behind his mother and all of his artworks. This is why almost
none of the works that Lee Jung-Seob produced before 1950 have survived.
Finding Busan to be very crowded with refugees, Lee moved his family to Jeju
Island in 1951. The family spent most of the year on the island, eking out a
meager but happy life.
They returned to Busan in
December 1951, but could only wander between refugee camps. Fed up with living
in destitution, Lee's wife took their two sons to Japan in July 1952, leaving
him alone. Throughout this ordeal, Lee continued working, producing paintings,
magazine illustrations, and book covers, and participating in exhibitions.
Unfortunately, however, most of the works that he produced in Busan are not
extant, having reportedly been destroyed in a fire.
Postcard
Paintings
Lee
Jung-Seob met his future wife Yamamoto Masako while they were students at Bunka
Gakuin University in Tokyo. After graduation, Lee stayed in Tokyo until 1943,
and during this time he sent numerous postcards to his future wife.
Interestingly, however, the postcards contained no written messages; Lee made a
small painting on one side, but the other side included only the address.
About
ninety of these "postcard paintings" are known, some of which are exhibited
here. The early ones are more surreal and fantastical, with light colors added.
They are also more carefully executed, with the lines drawn with carbon paper.
Over time, as Lee gained more confidence in his work, the paintings showed more
boldness and vitality. By tracking the changes to these postcard paintings, we
can speculate about the development of the relationship between the two lovers.
Tinfoil Paintings
Lee
Jung-Seob also created an innovative new technique for making paintings on
pieces of tinfoil from cigarette packs. He scratched lines into the tinfoil,
applied paint, and then wiped away the paint so that only the etched lines were
painted. Although they are flat, the resulting images seem to have multiple
layers thanks to the deeply indented lines. The aesthetic effect is further
enhanced by the sparkling surface of the tinfoil. Notably, this technique
recalls the tradition of inlaid Goryeo celadon or metalware inlaid with silver.
Indeed, Lee Jung-Seob had a deep reverence for Korean tradition, and
intentionally borrowed the technique for these tinfoil paintings.
Lee
Jung-Seob supposedly produced about 300 tinfoil paintings (some of which are
shown here) over a long period of time. Etched with a sharp tool, the images
range from scenes of his happy family life in Seogwipo, Jeju Island to scenes
of poverty and social adversity. According to Lee, the tinfoil paintings were
intended to serve as rough sketches for murals that he wanted to paint. Indeed,
he often dreamt of painting huge murals in public spaces, where they could be
appreciated by many people.
Tongyeong
1953-54
From around the end of the
Korean War (July 1953) until June 1954, Lee Jung-Seob worked as a lecturer at
the School of Lacquerware Inlaid with Mother-of-pearl in Tongyeong. He received
this job through the intercession of Yu Kangyul (1920-76), a master craftsman
who had moved down from North Korea. Taking advantage of this relative stability,
Lee spent his year in Tongyeong feverishly producing an abundance of new works,
including his famous Bull series and numerous oil paintings of the beautiful Tongyeong landscapes.
Furthermore, he greatly advanced his career by holding his first solo
exhibition and participating in the Four Young Artists Exhibition.
Letter Paintings
In
July 1952, amidst the devastation of the Korean War, Lee's wife and two sons
left for Japan, leaving him alone. From that time on, he meandered between many
different places, but no matter where he went, he regularly sent letters to his
family overseas. The early letters are joyful and affectionate, imbued with the
hope that the family would soon be reunited. Many of these letters include
charming illustrations for his two sons, reflecting his paternal love and
concern. From the middle of 1955, however, Lee sank into despair and almost
entirely stopped writing to his family. It is also said that he stopped reading
the letters that his wife sent to him.
Approximately
seventy of these letters have survived, consisting of about 150 pages, and some
of them are presented here. These letters have important documentary value,
illuminating the relationship between Lee Jung-Seob's life and his art.
Furthermore, they must be viewed as independent artworks, characterized by the
wonderful harmony between the free-flowing handwriting and the delightful
impromptu illustrations.
Seoul
1954-55
With his family still in
Japan, Lee moved to Seoul, where he stayed with friends and acquaintances in
places like Nusang-dong and Sangsu-dong. Around this time, Lee's wife earned
some money by selling Japanese books at a mark-up in Korea, but a middleman
swindled Lee on the deal, plunging him into debt. Hoping to pay this debt and
be reunited with his family in Japan, Lee made a last-ditch effort to sell his
works through a solo exhibition in January 1955 at the Gallery of Midopa
Department Store (present-day Lotte Department Store). Although he sold around
twenty works at the exhibition, he never received the money for the sales, and
thus remained heavily in debt.
Daegu
1955
Following the January 1955
exhibition in Seoul, Lee held another solo exhibition in April at the Gallery
of the US Information Service in Daegu. This exhibition was organized with the
help of Ku Sang (1919-2004), a poet and close friend of Lee. However, this
exhibition had even worse results than the one in Seoul, sending Lee into a
state of depression. Now convinced that he was deceiving the world about being
an important artist, he castigated himself for failing in his role as a
breadwinner and for having to scrounge free meals. Suffering from mental
illness and anorexia, he convalesced at Ku Sang's house on the outskirts of
Daegu, all the while continuing his art production.
Jeongneung,
Seoul 1956
Starting in December 1955,
Lee spent time in various hospitals, before moving to Jeongneung, Seoul, where
he stayed in the homes of Han Mook (painter, b. 1914), Park Yeonhee (novelist,
1918-2008), and Jo Yeongam (poet, 1920-? ). During this period, he did some
illustrations for literary magazines and created his final works, including the
River of No Return series. However, due to hepatitis and malnutrition (from his
anorexia), he was again hospitalized. Still separated from his family, he died
on September 6, 1956, at Seoul Red Cross Hospital. His friends commissioned a
tomb and tombstone for him at Manguri Public Cemetery in Seoul.
