Galleries in Paris

The current exhibition entitled ORIGIN organized at Galerie Perrotin, Paris, meaningfully traces back the footprints of Origin, a group founded in 1962 by a few elite artists comprised of graduates of the painting department at Hongik University, a prestigious private school in Korea. Origin has continued its development for over fifty years, which is exceptional for an art group, and has contributed in refreshing and broadening the boundaries of abstract art. Artists participating in this exhibition are the original founding members of Origin; CHOI Myoung-Young, SUH Seung-Won, and LEE Seung-Jio. These artists are prominent members who exude distinct individuality while consistently exploring abstract art.
The artists participating in this exhibition were born in the early 1940s and are live witnesses of the Japanese occupation, the Korean War, and the 4.19.1960 Revolution. Political turmoil such as the dark period of Japanese occupation, the Korean War, and the separation of families have all left deeply etched scars and unforgettable pain to Koreans. Therefore it is appropriate to examine the position of these artists within this historical context. In the early 1960s when Origin was founded, the Korean art world was divided into three groups. The first group was academism imported from Japan that focused mainly in imitation and reproduction, the second group was ‘hot abstract’ that transferred the sublime pains of the Korean War into paintings, and the third group was ‘intelligent painting’ that reflected the new social ambience following the 4.19.1960 Revolution. These three groups are all closely tied with Korean historical events, especially the second and the third groups that were founded by the graduates of art schools established after the national foundation of The Republic of Korea in 1948. Accordingly, these two art groups symbolize the beginning of Korean contemporary art and are therefore critical markers in the history of Korean Art.