First-Generation Minjung Art Painter Son Jang-seop Passes Away

The late artist Son Jang-seop. (Photo by Hakgojae Gallery)

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dong-hyun] Son Jang-seop, a first-generation minjung art painter, passed away on the 1st at the age of 80.

He participated as a founding member of "Reality and Speech," which was at the center of the minjung art movement in the 1980s. In 1985, he served as the inaugural president of the National Artists Association.

Born in 1941 in Gogeumdo, Wando-gun, Jeollanam-do, and a graduate of Hongik University’s Department of Western Painting, he initially painted historical scenes based on various episodes of modern Korean history.

Since the 1990s, he painted natural landscapes, saying, "Nature is the site where the lives of the people unfold and history is imbued."

He held solo exhibitions in the 1970s and 1980s at places such as the Newspaper Hall and Glory Art Gallery. He was actively involved in exhibitions held by various domestic and international institutions, including the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul Museum of Art, and Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. He received awards such as the 2nd National Art Award (1990), the 10th Lee Jung-seop Art Award (1998), and the 15th Kumho Art Award (1998). His works are held in collections at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art and the Seoul Museum of Art.

The funeral service was completed on the morning of the 3rd at Ilsan Paik Hospital Funeral Hall.

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