Folk Paintings of China and Korea

Featuring the works of Korean Master Painter Kim Man Hee and the Chinese village peasant paintings of Jinshan, this vibrant display of traditional folkloric studies is rich in diversity.

Folk painting is marked by the use of bold, brilliant colors to capture the simplicity of daily activities, festive events and common themes. The grand imagination of a child is employed for a heightened visual, naive effect in over forty examples on display.

In the early 1970's, the art of folk painting was revived in China's Jiangsu Province. Small village schools were established, awakening a fiery longing for freedom of expression. Tempera paints on paper transformed pigmented chalk into scenes of joy, as the Cultural Revolution came to a close. This creative spirit flourished, with recognition from Europe, the United States and Japan. Several prominent founding artists will be highlighted during the exhibit.

Kim Man Hee was born in Korea in 1931. He obtained a graduate degree from Kyong Hui University and is the past president of the Traditional Art Association. He has authored and published a twenty (20) volume pictorial entitled" A Record of Korean Paintings" and is responsible for nine volumes of the "Korean Folkloric" books. Influenced by religion and art from China, his works reflect harmony and symbolism in nature.