By Jane Han
Staff Reporter
Some say it's shamanistic and others say it's plain ugly, but Kim Hye-joong says ``minhwa'' is neither because there is more to Korean folk painting than tigers and dragons.
``A stereotyped image of minhwa is rooted in people's minds. That is, if they are even familiar with the form of art," said Kim, a noted minhwa artist who has held shows in Korea, Europe and the U.S. for over 20 years.
Kim, who is recognized for modernizing and diversifying the 17th century form, sat down with The Korea Times after her recent show, ``The Beauty of Korea Painting in Blue and White Porcelain,'' to discuss how she envisions minhwa becoming more relatable and approachable to the general public.
``Simply put, minhwa is a painting full of everyday life. It could carry an image of a woman washing clothes by the river, a little boy playing in a sand pile or a couple getting married,'' said the artist, who stressed that often people generalize minhwa as art dealing with just freakish-looking tigers.
Korean folk art, which consists of mythical figures, animals, flowers and other everyday objects, was popular until the Korean War. The paintings were common in the royal palaces, but then started to spread among ordinary people. As the country experienced war, minhwa almost disappeared until a revival in the '70s.
Folk painting experts like Kim Man-hee and Huh Gyun, who Kim calls her teachers, took the lead to restore lost artwork and create new versions.
Kim explained that old minhwa artwork varies in their levels of perfection because artists ranged from top professionals who were resident in palaces to nomadic painters on the streets.
``Everyone's attempt resulted in a bunch of work lacking in consistency, which gave minhwa a reputation of being `ugly art','' she said, adding that the traditional form needs an image revamp.
Kim explained that minhwa has already been pushed out of mainstream art, making it difficult to raise awareness amid the flood of Western and other Asian influences.
She said an ideal place to start was to bring the art form into our everyday lives by painting minhwa on porcelain, furniture and musical instruments that are easily accessible.
Strongly believing that a biased perception has prevented the folk art from moving forward, Kim even relocated her gallery from Insa-dong, a street in northern Seoul filled with traditional Korean antique shops and galleries, to the posh and modern Cheongdam-dong.
``It was more than a physical relocation because I was opening up to a different audience pool,'' said Kim, who holds about two shows annually here, and periodic events overseas.
Her numerous shows in Manhattan have attracted hundreds of visitors, including high-profile figures such as Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton.
In modernizing the ancient style, the artist says she emphasizes sticking to tradition, while embracing new elements of modern society.
She said the medium of how the art is delivered, for example, is an ideal way of modernization.
``The artwork doesn't have to be hung on a wall. It could be appreciated by being embedded on various items we use everyday,'' she said.
``Look at a Hermes scarf and see how gorgeous the intricate prints are,'' said Kim. ``Minhwa designs could produce the same effect. All it needs is a second look.''