S2A Special Exhibition ‘The World of Pen and Ink: Three Masters’
a single brushstroke becomes a landscape, and a single line of writing captures an era. three masters who lived in different eras, but share a certain aesthetic flow through the lines, surfaces, and words born from the tip of the brush, come together.
The exhibition ‘The World of Pencil and Ink: Three Masters’ at S2A explores the links between traditional Korean art and contemporary aesthetics through the works of Chung Jae Jeongseon, Chusa Kim Junghee, and Yoon Hyunggeun, offering an intriguing perspective on the intersection of tradition and modernity. comprising more than 40 paintings and calligraphy by the three artists, including Chung Jae Jeong-sun’s “Yeongang Cure Book,” which will be on public display for the first time in 10 years, the exhibition is curated by Yoo Hong-joon, a renowned Korean art historian and author of “My Cultural Heritage Journey,” who has contributed in-depth commentary to the exhibition.
a world of ink by three masters
the exhibition sheds light on the artistic achievements of the three masters and reveals how their artistic worlds were connected through the common medium of ink. Gyomjae Jeongseon (謙齋 鄭敾, 1676-1759) was a representative painter of the late Joseon Dynasty, who established Jingyeong Sanshui, a style based on real life, as a departure from conventional conceptual sanshui. one of his masterpieces, ‘Yeongang Jimsulbok’, which was released to the public for the first time in 10 years, depicts a boat ride on the Yeoncheon River in the year of Jimsul (1742), and consists of two paintings, a cover, and an introduction. the paintings are the ‘Wuhua Lantern Boat’ sailing from Wuhua Town on the Imjin River and the ‘Ungyeon Gyoram’ anchoring at Ungyeon, and the text is a description of the circumstances that led to the painting. the painting vividly captures the natural scenery of the time and shows the essence of Jingyeong Mountain Water Painting.
chusa Kim Jung-hee (秋史 金正喜, 1786-1856), who inherited the tradition but also created a new western style and established a unique ‘Chusa style’, explored the beauty of penmanship and developed calligraphy as a sculptural art. this exhibition introduces Chusa’s works of dai-ryun (duplexes), hwak-ryu (double-blast), sigo (poems), and ganchal (letters) by period and form. in particular, the ganchals written at the ages of 39 (middle age), 62 (exile in Jeju), and 71 (overcoming death) will give you a glimpse into Chusa’s transformation. in addition, Chusa’s masterpieces from his later years, such as the “Great Pyeonggoghoe,” “The Sutra of the Vajrayana Sutra,” and “Mukran and Jebeol,” which contains orchid paintings, will be on display.
the structure is simplified to lines and planes while revealing brush and ink smears. the works of Yoon Hyung-geun (1928-2007) maximize the essence of pure abstract art with an oriental aesthetic. works such as ‘Burnt Umber’ and ‘Umber-Blue’ fill the screen with understated compositions that look like calligraphic inkblots. meanwhile, interviews with past artists who were inspired by Chu’s handwriting serve as important clues to the organic connection between the three masters in this exhibition. it is a different experience from previous solo or monochromatic exhibitions.
“The roots of my brushwork are in Chusa Kim Jung-hee.
I learned from Chusa’s pen, or more precisely, how to make strokes.” Yoon Hyung-geun
an exhibition space that bridges tradition and modernity
the exhibition space is also designed to maximize the world and mood of each work while exploring the connections between the three masters. yoon’s Umber-Blue is the centerpiece, flanked by Jeongseon Jeongjae’s Su-matsu Youngshi Map and Chusa Kim Jung-hee’s Dalian Dae-ryeon. the three works in the same space reveal an aesthetic dialog between tradition and modernity. the individual exhibition spaces focus on the artistic achievements of the three masters. the low-lit space is reminiscent of a quiet meditation room, inviting visitors to delicately experience the textures and colors of the works
offering a new perspective on the intersection of tradition and modernity, the exhibition invites viewers to consider how the sculptural heritage can be connected to contemporary art through the medium of pen and ink, and to realize that this simple technique was also a philosophy and a way of thinking. the World of Pen and Ink: Three Masters is a unique opportunity to experience the timeless aesthetics of ink and feel its depths firsthand.
the World of Pen and Ink: Three Masters
exhibition Period February 4 – March 22, 2025
venue S2A (1F, S-Tower, 325 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul)
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