06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Kansong Art Museum unfolds hidden stories of fan art
The Kansong Art Museum in Seoul is set to launch its spring exhibition, "The Fan: My Companion Sharing the Moonlit Breeze," running April 9 to May 25. This marks the third installment of a three-year exhibition series focusing on the development of the museum's highly-acclaimed Kansong Collection.
For the first time, the exhibition will unveil intriguing stories hidden within fan paintings and inscriptions, offering a glimpse into the rich cultural history of Korea.
The exhibition will showcase a variety of artworks, including landscape paintings inspired by the idealized utopias envisioned by Korean scholars and Chinese sages, as well as everyday depictions of nature, flowers and birds. Fans also served as a medium for letters and poems exchanged between the literati, providing an intimate view of the friendships and literary culture that transcended national boundaries.
The exhibition will feature a rare collection of modern calligraphy and paintings from the late modern period, reflecting the unique tastes and relationships fostered within the art community.
Key works featured in the exhibition include "Six Bridges of Xihu" by Han Yong-gan (1783–1829), "Fragrant Green Orchids" by Jo Hui-ryong (1789–1866), "Peony with Heavenly Fragrance" by An Jung-sik (1861–1919), "Lonely Altar in Autumn Hues" by Lee Yun-yeong (1714-1759 ) and "Relating Feeling"s by Oh Se-chang (1864–1953).
The exhibition also presents newly uncovered works from the Seohwa Association, an early 20th-century group of artists who were supported and mentored by the late Jeon Hyeong-pil (1906–1962), a prominent collector who founded the Kang Song Art Museum.
Admission is 5,000 won ($3.42).
