The Korean peninsula has always produced amazing art pieces that are appreciated and cherished worldwide. Because of its history of having extended periods of stability and peace, Korea gave birth to several arts and crafts unique to the region. These creations are extremely beautiful and should be appreciated. So, let's explore some of those!
1. 민화 Minhwa (Korean folk painting):
This might perhaps be the most recognizable form of Korean fine art there is. Korean folk paintings called Minhwa are beautiful and expressive works of art that are termed as paintings of the people.
The unique style that strays away from the traditional art style (that focuses on realism) is easily recognizable as a symbol of Korean culture. This difference is deliberately done and it represents freedom, to create art in a form limited by no constraints. The most common example of the minhwa style consists of a friendly tiger depicted humorously. Korea is known as the land of tigers, ad in the olden times there used to be an abundance of these animals which frequently disrupted the lives of people in the region. Minhwa was used to depict the tiger in a more lighthearted manner so that people could overcome their fear of them.
Minhwa uses a bold and colorful style, and they are roughly drawn with a sense of carefreeness and exaggeration. This wonderful style has grown to define the Korean art aesthetic.
2. 서예 Soeye ( Korean calligraphy):
The art of writing, Korean calligraphy is another recognizable part of Korea’s fine-arts. It is the tradition of artistic writing which includes calligraphy with both hanja and hangul. Hangul calligraphy is more widely practiced these days. Korean calligraphy is termed Soeye in which the 'ye' in soeye is derived from 'yesul' which means 'arts' in Korean.
This ancient tradition focuses on the artist’s emotions and represents purity and elegance. The exquisite artform is a vibrant caricature of the artists’ minds and character and is treated as something more than just a technical exercise. It is spiritual training that requires a sense of discipline of the mind to bear good results. The craft is said to have been derived from Chinese calligraphy as Chinese scripts were used widely in ancient Korea. Calligraphy is created by delicate strokes of a brush on paper with utmost patience and concentration. This wonderful craft has been prevalent in Korea even way back in the Three Kingdoms period dating back to 57 BCE.
During the Japanese occupation, Korean even used calligraphy as a form of fight against the oppression they faced.
3. Korean Ceramic art:
Korea is known for producing great ceramic art. The history of ceramic art in the region began with earthenware and can be dated back to 5000 BC. Throughout different periods, the aesthetics of Korean ceramics changed, ranging from grayish black high-fired stoneware to green glazed ones and even to white porcelain. Goryeo celadons are a great example of excellent ceramic craftsmanship as the glazy blue hue called 'Bisaek' which means 'kingfisher color' was created as a result of outstanding skill.
In the Joseon dynasty, one of the most recognizable forms of Korean ceramic ware was created- the buncheong ware. They were created by covering the Goryeo celadons with white slips.
The ceramic ware developed during each period often reflected the society's standing and the thoughts philosophers held during those times. This makes these beautiful pieces of art into a unique lens into the lives and culture of the Korean people across various periods.
Hope you guys enjoyed reading this post☺️.
Content creator: Laya Jimmy ( 라야).
Layer creator: Huynh Xuan Thanh ( 민민).
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