The Gyeomjae Jeong Seon Art Museum in Seoul's Gangseo-gu is hosting a solo exhibition titled "Breath" by Yu Geun-taek, one of South Korea's foremost contemporary Korean ink painters, through Oct. 22.
The exhibition presents 106 works — spanning painting to video — that trace Yu's artistic journey over the past 30 years, from his earliest pieces to his most recent creations.
The title "Breath" reflects Yu's philosophy of exploring how contrasting concepts form relationships and expand into new worlds, much like the continuous cycle of inhaling and exhaling.
The exhibition is organized across three spaces. The first, titled "Performance," features 31 works from Yu's early "Grandmother" series (1995) alongside video pieces capturing the fleeting moments and cycles of fountains. The second space, "Inside and Out," presents works including "Swimming Pool" and "Voyage — Toward a Miracle," which invite viewers to see familiar everyday scenes through a fresh perspective, showcasing Yu's distinctive painterly voice.
Particularly notable is the third and final space, "Two Conversations," where "Window" — a new work created in response to "Cheongha Fortress Town" by Joseon-era master Jeong Seon, held in the museum's permanent collection — will be unveiled to the public for the first time. The piece explores how two artists from different eras connect and expand within the context of contemporary painting.
The museum, located at 36 Yangcheon-ro 47-gil, is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with last admission at 5 p.m. The museum is closed on Mondays. Admission is 1,000 won for adults and 500 won for teenagers, military personnel and police. Children under 6, visitors 65 and older, and national merit recipients are admitted free of charge.
Yu explores themes of everyday life, memory, landscape and time through the techniques of traditional Korean ink painting. He currently serves as a full-time professor in the Oriental Painting Department at Sungshin Women's University and has received numerous awards, including the Seoknam Art Prize, the Ha Chong-hyun Art Prize and the Yi In-seong Art Prize.
Museum director Song Hee-kyung said the exhibition offers "a comprehensive opportunity to survey Yu Geun-taek's long artistic career," adding that she hopes visitors "will feel the breath of our lives within contemporary painting."
Jin Kyo-hoon, the district mayor of Gangseo-gu, said he was deeply honored to host a special exhibition at the Gyeomjae Jeong Seon Art Museum surveying the full body of work by Yu Geun-taek, a master of contemporary Korean ink painting. He expressed hope that the exhibition would carry forward the artistic spirit of Jeong Seon into the modern era and serve as a catalyst for sustaining and expanding the achievements of the projects marking the 350th anniversary of Jeong Seon's birth.
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