Kim Whanki's 'April March' Painted Shortly After April 19 Uprising to Be Auctioned at Seoul Auction

Seoul Auction's 155th Art Auction on the 24th... 127 Pieces Worth About 10 Billion Won

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] A rare work depicting people by Kim Whanki (1913?1974), a pioneer of Korean abstract art, titled 'April March,' will be featured in Seoul Auction's 155th art auction.

The 155th art auction by Seoul Auction will be held on the 24th at the 6th-floor auction hall of Seoul Auction Gangnam Center. A total of 127 pieces, worth approximately 10 billion KRW, including modern and contemporary Korean art, Korean antiques, and overseas works, will be exhibited.

'April March' is a work Kim Whanki painted shortly after the April 19 Revolution. Kim first introduced 'April March' as an illustration in the June 1960 issue of the magazine Sasanggae (思想界), and a year later, in 1961, he recreated the painting in oil. The back of the artwork is inscribed with 'April 1961.' Known primarily for painting natural landscapes such as mountains, rivers, and clouds, as well as abstract works, this piece is a rare subject matter among Kim Whanki's works. The estimated auction price is between 700 million and 1 billion KRW.

Kim Whanki 'April March', oil on canvas, 73.3×99.6 cm, April 1961 [Photo by Seoul Auction]

A large number of paintings by Kim Chang-yeul (1929?), a leading senior living Korean artist, will also be exhibited. Particularly eye-catching is the 1967 work 'Composition.' The 'Composition' features waves of obangsaek (five traditional Korean colors) undulating, with multiple spheres clustered in the center dividing the space, creating wave patterns that suggest the movement of the spheres. The piece is a collage of paper on hemp cloth, painted over with oil and spray techniques. The estimated auction price is between 180 million and 300 million KRW.

Kim Chang-yeul is famous as the 'Water Drop Artist.' Early in his career, he painted abstract works, and during his stay in New York in the 1960s, he experienced overseas art and deeply contemplated the essence of painting. He found his own unique direction and transitioned to realism. After unveiling his water drop works in Paris in 1972, he repeatedly painted water drops throughout his life. This auction features various forms of 'Water Drop' works created in 1976, 1979, and 1983. Notably, the 1976 'Water Drop' uses hemp cloth as the canvas, giving a rough texture that contrasts with the brilliance of the water drop. The estimated auction price is between 300 million and 500 million KRW.

In addition to Kim Whanki's 'April March,' Seoul Auction will present several works depicting people and human groups under the theme 'People and People, and the Other.'

Works such as 'Group' by Lee Ungno, created in his later years, and 'People' by Seo Seok, which express human figures symbolically, will also be exhibited. Lee Ungno (1904?1989) was a Korean artist who worked in Oriental painting before moving to France and developing a unique artistic world. The 'Group' series, created in his later years, encapsulates the artist's consciousness of his era and artistic views. The auction piece 'Group' was made in 1987, two years before his death, and is a collage on hanji (traditional Korean paper). The estimated auction price is between 10 million and 20 million KRW.

Seo Seok (1929?) pioneered modern Oriental painting and presented ink wash abstract works in the 1950s. From the late 1970s, he focused on the 'Human' series, symbolically depicting humans harmonized with nature. The auction piece 'People' expresses human forms stylized with ink. The estimated auction price is between 22 million and 35 million KRW.

Eungno Lee 'Group of Figures', color and Korean paper collage mounted on panel, 46×71 cm, 1987
Photo by Seoul Auction

Se Seo-ok 'People', ink on mulberry paper, 116.7×82.7 cm [Photo by Seoul Auction]

Oh Yoon (1946?1986), who researched Korean traditional folk culture and sublimated it into his works, expressed dynamic human movements simply in his prints. The auction piece 'Chunmuin Chumuui' depicts 35 dancers performing various dance moves. The flag held by the leader of the pungmul troupe bears the inscription '춘무인 추무의 (春無仁 秋無義),' meaning 'If you do not sow seeds in spring, there will be nothing to harvest in autumn.' The estimated auction price is between 25 million and 50 million KRW.

This auction also features various antiques, including Buddhist paintings from the Goryeo Dynasty and treasures from the Joseon Dynasty. The 'Amita Samjondo' exhibited in this auction is a triad painting of Amitabha Buddha seated in lotus position on a high lotus pedestal, flanked by Avalokitesvara on the left and Mahasthamaprapta on the right. It is estimated to have been created in the 14th century during the Goryeo period. The estimated auction price is between 400 million and 600 million KRW.

Dasan Jeong Yak-yong (1762?1836)'s 'Haengcho Dasan Sagyeongjeop (行草 茶山四景帖)' is a collection of poems and writings Jeong Yak-yong composed during his exile. It includes 'Dasan Sagyeong (Tea Mountain Four Views)' written during his stay in Gangjin, Jeollanam-do in 1809, 'Sunam Hoseol (淳菴號說)' written in 1818, and 'Yeo Dasan Jesaeng Mundaap (與茶山諸生問答)' written in 1823 after his exile ended. 'Dasan Sagyeong' is a seven-character regulated verse poem describing the scenery around Baekryeonsa Dasan Chodang, where Jeong Yak-yong lived from 1801 to 1808. 'Sunam Hoseol' explains the origin of the pen name 'Sunam,' which Jeong gave to Yun Shindong, son of Yun Gyuro, the former owner of the Chodang. 'Yeo Dasan Jesaeng Mundaap' contains dialogues exchanged with his disciples during and after his exile while residing in Namyangju. 'Haengcho Dasan Sagyeongjeop' is regarded as a representative calligraphy album from Dasan's exile period and is designated Treasure No. 1683-1. The estimated auction price is between 270 million and 500 million KRW.

Pyoam Kang Sehwang's 'Mokjukdo (Ink Bamboo Painting)', ink on paper, 49.5×83.0 cm per panel [Photo by Seoul Auction]

Pyoam Kang Se-hwang's eight-panel folding screen 'Mokjukdo (Ink Bamboo Painting)' and the nearly five-meter-wide 'Sipjangsaengdo (Ten Symbols of Longevity Painting)' are also captivating works.

The auction preview exhibition will be held until the 24th at Seoul Auction Gangnam Center and is open to the public free of charge. Considering the COVID-19 pandemic, Seoul Auction offers services such as viewing the artworks online through a VR (virtual reality) exhibition hall and browsing the catalog as an e-Book. Bidding is possible via phone or written bids even if one cannot attend the auction in person on the day.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.