25 Facts About Park Su-geun

Park Su-geun, name transliterated as Park Soo-keun, was a South Korean painter known for his depictions of daily life in rural Korea.

Park Su-geun was one of the very few Korean artists active during the colonial and post-war period who had no official art education.

Park Su-geun was born in Yanggu County, Kogen-do, Korea, Empire of Japan.

Park Su-geun moved to Chuncheon in 1935 and received help from O Deuk-yeong and Miyoshi Iwakichi, and went on to win prizes in the Joseon Arts Exhibition eight times from 1936 to 1944.

In 1939, Park Su-geun married Kim Bok-sun, who would later be the model of many of his paintings of women.

Park Su-geun moved to Pyongyang in 1940 to work as a clerk for the provincial government of Heian'nan-do, with the help of Miyoshi.

Park Su-geun continued to paint while working in Pyongyang and became a member of artists' group Johohoe from 1940 to 1944 and participated in group exhibitions.

Park Su-geun experimented with print during his stay at Pyongyang and from his affiliation with Juhohoe.

However, his artistic style of using geometric and flat shapes and simple lines in depicting familiar and realistic scenes of peasant life had already been established at this point, and Park Su-geun readdressed many of his prior works and further developed them after the war.

Financial hardship continued in Seoul, but Park Su-geun was able to make a living by drawing portraits for American soldiers stationed in Seoul.

In 1953, Park Su-geun won first prize in the 2nd annual Republic of Korea Art Exhibition with "House", after which he painted full-time as an artist.

Park Su-geun became a member of Daehan Art Association from 1955 and participated in their annual exhibitions until 1960.

Park Su-geun was a founding member of Korea Woodblock Printing Association in 1958, and submitted a woodblock print piece, "Old Man and Woman" in the first annual group exhibition of the club.

Park Su-geun participated in a group exhibition in 1960 as a founding member of Hyeondae Panhwa Dong-in, alongside Kim Whanki, Choi Yeong-rim, Yu Gang-ryeol, and Jeong Gyu.

Park Su-geun submitted oil paintings for group exhibitions abroad, including in Hong Kong and in San Francisco Museum in 1957, and in New York World House Gallery in 1958.

Park Su-geun received help in selling his works and participating in exhibitions abroad from an American journalist, Margaret G Miller, to whom he left numerous letters regarding the sales of his paintings, financial situations, and his daily life.

Park Su-geun liked to paint daily lives of women and trees.

Peasant women that most frequently appear were often modelled on his wife who often took on the task of making a living and taking care of daily chores From the lack of distinct facial features and humility in their dress and poses, it can be seen that Park Su-geun reflected his own romantic interpretations of strong and diligent women during times of national hardship and suffering.

Park Su-geun predominantly used unique, granite-like surface textures and light gray or brown tones to depict simple Korean local scenes and daily lives of ordinary Korean people, using the "matiere technique".

Park Su-geun's focus on subjects of naivete and geometric, flattened, and simplified painting style was strengthened from the late 1950s, and his paintings reflected architectural inspirations as he experimented with the juxtaposition of flat, contrasting shapes and forms in formulating his spatial compositions.

Park Su-geun produced prints, watercolors, drawings, and illustrations throughout his career.

In 1963, Park Su-geun lost his sight in his left eye due to a cataract, and died of liver cirrhosis at the age of 51 in 1965.

For much of his life Park Su-geun struggled with poverty and hardship, but in 1980, he was posthumously awarded Eun-gwan Jang of Order of Culture Merit.

Park Su-geun's work is housed in numerous institutions around the world, including the University of Michigan Museum of Art and the USC Pacific Asia Museum.

Park Su-geun Museum was established in 2002 at Park's birthplace, Yanggu.