Park Seo-Bo, Father of Korean Dansaekhwa Movement, Dies at 92

Park Seo-Bo, celebrated as the founder of the Dansaekhwa art movement, has died. His artistic career spanned over sixty years, beginning in the 1950s, shaped by the challenges of the Korean War. He studied both Western and Eastern painting at Hongik University and received a UNESCO scholarship to Paris in the early 1960s. Upon his return to Korea, he engaged with the Korean Art Informel movement, which blended abstraction with Western influences. His famous Écriture series started in 1967 and was inspired by his child's education and Buddhist practices, debuting in 1973 with support from Lee Ufan. The 1975 Tokyo Gallery exhibition, featuring Park and others, is credited with launching Dansaekhwa. He also served as an art critic and taught at Hongik University until 1990. His recent exhibitions included shows at the MMCA in Seoul and Chateau La Coste in 2021.