The Late Painter Lee Geon Laid to Rest in His Hometown Gurye After 80 Years

Lee Geon's Last Will
Laid to Rest at Gurye County Public Natural Burial Ground

Gurye County in South Jeolla Province announced that the late painter Lee Geon, who represented the modern and contemporary Korean Oriental painting community, was laid to rest at the Gurye County Public Natural Burial Ground on November 3, according to his last will.

Born in 1939 in Haepyeong Village, Ganjeon-myeon, Gurye County, Lee was forcibly relocated to Heilongjiang Province, China, at a young age around 1945. Even in a foreign land, he longed for his hometown and devoted himself to art, eventually establishing his reputation in the Chinese art scene as a director of the China Artists Association and a visiting professor at the College of Fine Arts at Jiamusi University. He also made significant contributions to cultural and artistic exchanges between Korea and China.

The late painter Lee Geon, who represented the modern and contemporary Korean Oriental painting community, was laid to rest on the 3rd at the Gurye County Public Natural Burial Ground according to his last will. Provided by Gurye County

In particular, in December 2012, at the invitation of the Gurye County Governor, he visited his hometown and donated two of his works. In August 2014, an invitational exhibition was held at the Sangnok Gallery of the Gwangju Museum of Art, once again introducing his artistic world to his hometown audience.

The late artist, who passed away in 2022, expressed his wish to be buried in his hometown. In accordance with this wish, his family hoped for his interment in Gurye. Gurye County, respecting his intentions, made the decision to allow his burial with a special approval from the county governor in accordance with relevant regulations.

Through this burial, the spirit of the late artist, who dedicated his life to art in a foreign land, has finally returned to his hometown after 80 years.

Kim Soonho, Governor of Gurye County, stated, "Thinking of the late painter Lee Geon, who devoted his entire life to art in a distant land while longing for his hometown, is deeply moving. This burial is a meaningful occasion in which the hometown embraces the soul of an artist and remembers his life."

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