MINHWA Today, Korean folk art exhibition

The Korean Cultural Centre (KCC) Australia presents an exhibition MINHWA Today as an associated event of the Sydney Lunar Festival from the 8th of February until the 1st of April 2021 at its gallery in Sydney.

Co-presented by the Traditional Korean Minhwa Center in South Korea, MINHWA Today features 25 pieces of modern minhwa, referring to the folk painting style of Korea which thrived during the Joseon period (1392-1910), exploring the unique aesthetics and sentiments of the Korean art genre reinterpreted by the minhwa artists of today. 

Some of the highlights from the exhibition include Portrait of King Taejo Eojin, a magnificent portrait of King Taejo Lee Seong-gye, the founder of the Joseon Dynasty, painted with natural pigment and gold on silk, Dream-chaekgado which is distinguished by its gold colour and three-dimensional composition expressing the artist’s wish for knowledge and wellness, and Paeksu Paekpokdo, a decorative screen containing letters that reflect a desire for blessings and longevity of life. 

Enjoyed widely among common people during the Joseon era, minhwa has vivid colours, unique spatial compositions and embodies the desires of the people as each object drawn represents its own meaning - for instance, a painting of flowers and butterflies, called hwajeopdo means hope for love and harmony between married couples, and a painting of magpies and tigers used to be hung on doors on the first day of the new year as one of the New Year’s rituals to ward off bad luck while hoping for longevity and prosperity. 

Important notice

*There will be no opening event for the public due to Covid-19. Be sure to check out the visitor’s information related to COVID-19 before visiting the gallery.