Park Jae-hong (Father: a judicial scrivener; Spouse: Yoon Myung-sook; Son: Park Seung-ho) 박서보 (Hanja: 朴栖甫)
Park Seo-bo (1931–2023), born Park Jae-hong, was a towering figure in modern abstract art and is widely celebrated as the “father” of the Dansaekhwa (Korean monochrome painting) movement. His practice was deeply rooted in the meditative and spiritual aspects of art production, emphasizing self-purification and the act of “emptying oneself out” through endless, repetitive gestures.
Park’s early career was shaped by the trauma of the Korean War. After studying at Hongik University, he rebelled against the conservative National Art Exhibition, becoming a pioneer of the Korean Art Informel movement in the late 1950s. His early Primordialis series utilized dark palettes and thick textures to convey postwar angst.
His defining breakthrough came in 1967 with the inception of his Écriture series. Legend has it that the series was initially inspired by watching his young son frustratedly scribbling over a handwriting exercise. Park adopted this sense of resignation, applying repetitive, rhythmic pencil lines onto wet oil paint. This process, influenced by Daoist and Buddhist philosophies, transformed painting from a mere visual representation into an ascetic, cathartic discipline. Over the decades, the Écriture series evolved, transitioning from graphite on white canvas to the inclusion of traditional Korean mulberry paper (hanji) and vibrant, nature-inspired colors.
Beyond his studio practice, Park was a fiercely dedicated educator and administrator. He served as a professor and dean at Hongik University and vigorously championed Korean contemporary art on the global stage, organizing exhibitions and participating in international biennials to ensure his contemporaries received global recognition.
In early 2023, Park was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. In a testament to his unbreakable artistic spirit, he publicly declined medical treatment to dedicate his remaining time to his work, stating he wished to “draw at least one more line on canvas.” He passed away in October 2023, leaving behind an immense legacy that permanently elevated Korean art’s presence on the world stage.
Active in others filds : Art Education (Professor and Dean at Hongik University), Art Administration (Chairman of the Korean Fine Arts Association), Art Criticism.
