Six major artists born in 1910s

The 1910s produced an extraordinary generation in the history of Korean painting. Six major artists were born during this decade: Lee In-sung (1912; hereafter LI), Kim Whanki (1913; K), Park Soo-keun (1914; P), Lee Jung-seob (1916; LJ), Yoo Youngkuk (1916; Y), and Chang Ucchin (1917; C). They developed remarkably different styles, and their works reflect many of the defining characteristics of Korean society and art in the early and mid-20th century.

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) houses many important works by these artists. Its collection was greatly enriched by the donation of Lee Kun-hee's art collection.

Lee Kun-hee was the longtime chairman of Samsung Group and played a major role in developing Samsung's semiconductor business. His vision contributed significantly to Korea's emergence as a global leader in information technology. After his death, his family donated a vast portion of his art collection to public institutions in Korea. Through this generous donation, the MMCA acquired a remarkable range of modern Korean artworks, including masterpieces by several of these artists born in the 1910s.

Lee In-sung, born in 1912, worked primarily within the tradition of Western-style painting. He was deeply influenced by modern European painting, particularly Post-Impressionism and other developments that followed 19th-century French Impressionism. His paintings sometimes recall artists such as Cézanne, Renoir, and Modigliani, yet he developed a distinctive vision of his own. His paintings often appear transparent, cool, and restrained, while also conveying a subtle sense of sadness and calmness. LI was recognized as a remarkably talented painter from an early age. Unfortunately, he died unexpectedly in 1950 at the age of only 38. His premature death was a major loss to Korean art.

In 1913, Kim Whanki was born. K developed an increasingly abstract visual language using simplified forms, lines, colors, and eventually countless dots. His art departed dramatically from the representational tradition of 19th-century European painting. Rather than depicting the visible world directly, he transformed mountains, the moon, trees, and other elements of Korean nature into abstract forms. His later dot paintings became particularly celebrated for their meditative beauty and have made him one of the most internationally recognized Korean modern artists.

Park Soo-keun was born in 1914. He experienced considerable economic hardship during his lifetime and died from liver disease in 1965. His paintings are immediately recognizable for their rough, stone-like surfaces, often compared to Korean granite. His main subjects were ordinary people—women carrying babies, street vendors, laborers, children, and villagers. Because he depicted the everyday lives of Koreans in the early and mid-20th century, his paintings feel both intimate and deeply connected to the social history of Korea.

Lee Jung-seob was born in 1916. Like P, LJ experienced severe poverty. He studied art in Japan, where he met the woman who would become his wife. They later lived together in Korea, but the Korean War and extreme economic hardship devastated their family life. Eventually, his wife and two sons returned to Japan. LJ desperately wanted to reunite with them but was unable to do so permanently. He died alone in Seoul in 1956. Many of his paintings and drawings evoke the happiness of family life that he had lost. His images of children playing can therefore appear particularly poignant when viewed in the context of his longing for his family. His famous bulls, meanwhile, have often been interpreted as expressions of vitality, endurance, and the determination to survive hardship.

Yoo Youngkuk was also born in 1916. Mountains were among the most important motifs in his work. Rather than depicting them realistically, Y reduced mountains and landscapes to bold geometric forms and fields of color. Through this distinctive approach, he became one of the pioneers of Korean abstract painting.

Chang Ucchin was born in 1917. C developed a highly simplified visual language filled with familiar motifs such as houses, trees, birds, the moon, families, and children. His paintings can resemble children's drawings in their simplicity, but this apparent simplicity was carefully constructed. They often present an intimate and almost idealized universe—a peaceful world in which human beings, animals, houses, and nature coexist without fear.

Lee In-sung (1912), Kim Whanki (1913), Park Soo-keun (1914), Lee Jung-seob (1916), Yoo Youngkuk (1916), and Chang Ucchin (1917) represent an extraordinary generation in Korean modern art. Born within just five years of one another, they developed strikingly different artistic languages while living through the same turbulent period of Korean history. Seeing their masterpieces together at the MMCA offers a remarkable opportunity to experience the diversity of Korean modern art. That many of these works are now preserved as public cultural assets is a great privilege for Korea and for future generations.