Latin American Art in Seoul

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia

Staff Reporter

When it comes to Latin American art, Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera perhaps stand out most for the Korean audience.

A handful of works by Kahlo and Rivera are displayed, along with other Latin American masters at the ``Masters of the 20th Century: Latin American Art'' at the National Museum of Art, Deoksu Palace, central Seoul, through Nov. 9.

The exhibit, which features 120 works by 84 artists from 16 Central American countries, gives an opportunity to learn more about Latin American art. It provides a broad overview of the development of Latin American art scene from the early 20th century to the 1970s.

The first section, ``The Dream to Change the World'' is an introduction to the Mural Movement, which started in Mexico in the 1920s. The movement was an artistic offshoot of the Mexican Revolution, which broke out in 1910.

Many of the works deal with social realism, hence the dark colors and images that reflected the artists' desire for social change. Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros and Jose Clemente Orozco are known as the three leading Mexican muralists. Rivera's ``History of Religion I and IV,'' Siqueiros' ``May Day'' and Orozco's ``Death and Resurrection'' are seen in this section.

Another section ``Who Are We?'' reveals the history and identity of Latin America through artworks. The works deal with aspects of the region's racial mixture, natural environment and rich cultural diversity, while defining the identity of Latin Americans.

Among the notable works are Feliciano Carvallo's ``Tempered Summer,'' Candido Portinari's ``Mother,'' Clara Ledesma's ``Madonna'' and Rufino Tamayo's ``The Big Cheese.''

In the section ``In Search of Myself: An Individual's World and Surrealism,'' the vibrant energy of Latin American art can be seen. Many of the works are surrealist in nature, although artists such as Kahlo and Maria Izquierdo may not have necessarily classified themselves as surrealists.