Children of famed painter to hold exhibition in Seoul

The late painter Park Su-geun (1914-1965) is said to have described the routine lives of the Korean people with warm eyes in his paintings. Despite his impoverished living condition, he maintained his aspiration for the spirit of art.

His eldest daughter, In-sook, said she never thought she would dare to inherit her father`s painting style due to such memories. She has diligently continued her artistic career, nevertheless.

Making her painting debut by winning prizes in the 15th, 16th and 18th events of the prestigious Grand Art Contest and Exhibition of Korea, she said, “I`m still worried if I will harm my father’s world of art.”

“I still have memories of my father, who would always eat meals wearing cloth with stains while painting or cheerfully coming back from outing with a sack of rice he bought when he managed to sell a painting,” she added. “Even when I was teaching at school, I started painting and recalling such images of my father.”

The late painter`s oldest son, Seong-nam, is doing paintings to carry on his father`s spirit as an artist and his diligent and faithful lifestyle. Having immigrated to Australia in 1986, he said, “I was invited to hold exhibitions several times, but I wanted to correctly display the spirit of art that his descendants are passing on to working class people, whom my father loved so much, rather than holding large-scale exhibitions.”

“I will use part of the proceeds from this exhibition to fund scholarships for underprivileged children from orphanages.”

Park Su-geun’s grandson Jin-heung is also a painter living in a humble fashion. He joined the College of Art in New Delhi, India, majored in Western art, graduated at the top of his class, and won an award from India’s culture minister upon graduation.

After finishing graduate school at Western Sydney University in Australia, Park Jin-heung is teaching art to children. Regrettably, he said he cannot visit Korea for the upcoming exhibition, but he said of his grandfather, “I`m trying hard not to copy his painting style, but I`d definitely like to inherit the spirit of my grandfather, who tried to describe the goodness and faithfulness of humans in his paintings.”

Gallery D-Cube in Seoul`s Sindorim subway station will host the exhibition and the opening ceremony is slated for Sunday at 4 p.m. The event will continue through Oct. 16. For more information, please call (02) 2211-0973.

coolup@donga.com