Exhibition showcases different aspects of ‘morning’

CHENNAI: Independent curator Insang Song, who is based out of Seoul and New Delhi, is coming to Chennai with an exhibition featuring seven contemporary artists from Korea.

Titled The Morning Calm, the exhibition focuses on the nature-friendly ideology and the quiet contemplative gaze integral to Korean traditional painting. Aligned with the calm before the morning breaks, the exhibition showcases myriad perspectives of this phenomenon through a distinctive visual language.

“This exhibition is based on traditional Korean painting. Korean contemporary painting can be divided into two main streams - oil and acrylic paintings influenced by the West. There are also works that use paper, brush, and ink, a painting style unique to Korea, as a basis,” Insang Song starts the conversation.

Korean painting, also known as ‘hanji’ painting, has a long tradition dating back over a thousand years. It is characterised by the use of traditional materials such as mulberry paper, ink, and natural pigments, and its emphasis on capturing the essence of the subject rather than a realistic representation. “Korean painting often features themes from nature, such as mountains, rivers, and flowers, and uses calligraphic brushstrokes to create a sense of movement and energy. ‘The Land of the Morning Calm’ was a phrase used to introduce Korea to the West in the late 19th century. The phrase was first used by an American named Mine Okubo.

The phrase was later popularised by William Elliot Griffis, an American author who wrote a book titled Corea, the Hermit Nation in 1882. In the book, Griffis describes Korea as a land of peace and tranquillity, and he interprets the name ‘Joseon’ as meaning ‘Morning Calm’. Through this exhibition, I give special meaning to the morning.

As the sun rises, morning opens. It has many meanings to us. It can be a sign of a strong start to the day, and it also symbolises the moment of meeting a new world after a difficult period. Korean painting, based on Korea’s nature-friendly traditional ideology, contains a contemplative gaze on nature and a quiet moment just before conceiving something. It resembles the scenery of the morning. All seven Korean painters have shown the sound of this morning in a visual language,” he adds.

The basic materials used in Korean painting include paper, brush, and ink. When quizzed about the similarities with Indian paintings, the curator adds, “There are several similarities and differences between Korean painting and Indian traditional painting.

They have a long history based on their respective cultures and religious traditions, and they have one thing in common in that they value lines and express delicate parts with lines. In terms of materials, the use of mineral and vegetable paints is common. The difference is that Indian paintings often depict religious and mythological subjects, while Korean paintings often depict natural landscapes, animals, and everyday life.”

— The exhibition will be on view until April 21 at The Gallery, InKo Centre.