Indo-Korean art exhibition celebrates 50 years of diplomatic relations

CHENNAI: To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Indo-Korean relations, the InKo Centre is presenting an exhibition, titled Tagore and Nature: A River. This exhibition showcases the work of 20 artists from India and Korea who participated in the 2023 Nami Island Korea-India artist camp. The artist camp, held on a small island called Nami Island in Chuncheon City, South Korea, brought together artists with different backgrounds, techniques, and ages. Each artist interpreted the theme, Tagore and Nature - A River, in their unique way. Some artists focused on the internal river flowing within us, while others drew inspiration from the healing power of rivers and water.

In the exhibition, you can find diverse works all revolving around the same theme, with some highlighting Tagore’s views on the subject, and others expressing their hopes for the future relations between the two countries. Fred Minn, one of the participating artists, says, “I feel honoured and privileged to bring this exhibition to Chennai. I hope this exhibition can help create new friendships and more interest in people-to-people exchange between the two countries, especially in the fields of art and culture.” Seungho Lee, another artist from Korea, reflects, “Even if we don’t speak the same language, we got to comfort and support each other by creating artworks together in Nami Island. That is what I liked about this artist camp.”

Indian artist Nupur Kundu tell us, “The main attraction to be a participant in workshops like these is to spend quality time with fellow artists and learn from them.” Yogendra Tripathi recalls, “The moment we entered Nami Island on a boat, we felt we had entered another world - it was a very inspiring and beautiful space for an artist.”

Japani Shyam emphasises, “In the world of art, language has no meaning. For an artist, language has never been a barrier. No matter where the artist comes from, the medium is such that everyone understands what’s happening.” Director of InKo Centre Dr Rathi Jafer tells DT Next, “We are delighted that the MoU with Nami Island, Korea will provide opportunities for Indo-Korean residencies, artistic exchanges and collaboration regularly. We hope to strengthen artistic networks and deepen the vital intercultural dialogue between India and Korea with this valued partnership with Nami Island.” The exhibition will be on display at The Gallery, InKo Centre, till February 20.