"Leaving Life Behind"... Professor Onangja Donates 50 Artworks to Dong-A University

Dong-A University held a donation ceremony for the works of Oh Nangja, a master of Hwajohwa.

Professor Oh donated the proceeds from the sale of artworks at an exhibition to the university development fund and subsequently donated 50 pieces of her work to the university.

The donation ceremony took place on the 27th in the main conference room at Dong-A University’s Seunghak Campus, attended by Professor Oh, Dong-A University President Lee Hae-woo, and other university officials. Dong-A University also presented Professor Oh with a plaque of appreciation.

Graduating from Hongik University’s Department of Oriental Painting, Professor Oh served as a professor in Dong-A University’s Department of Fine Arts for 25 years starting in 1988, then became an emeritus professor, and has been a distinguished professor since the second semester of last year.

Professor Oh’s artistic world is characterized by metaphorical and original color works that connect vivid and primary-colored subjects such as flowers, birds, and butterflies with painting.

Since receiving her first award in 1964 at the National Art Exhibition (Gukjeon) for her work "Manchu," she has been consistently recognized as an artist who modernized Korean Hwajohwa for over 60 years.

Dong-A University Professor Emeritus Onangja.

In 1982, she was appointed as a recommended artist for the National Art Exhibition, served as an inaugural artist at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, and has held 18 solo exhibitions. She has also participated in over 500 domestic and international invitational and group exhibitions, including the Seoul International Contemporary Art Festival, New York Art Expo, and the 100 Years of Korean Painting Exhibition.

Professor Oh Nangja said, “I believe an artist’s work is their life. With the thought of entrusting my life to Dong-A University, where I taught and worked passionately during the most important period of my life, I decided to donate 50 works created from 1973 to the present.”

She added, “I will continue my artistic activities while I am alive, and if meaningful works are created, I will donate them as well. I will keep working with the responsibility that ‘Oh Nangja’s paintings can only be seen at Dong-A University in Busan.’”

President Lee Hae-woo said, “We will plan many excellent exhibitions so that these outstanding works can resonate with students and citizens, and we will do our part to ensure that Professor Oh’s works shine for a long time.”

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