About Kim Chong Hak, Painter of Seoraksan
Located at the High Museum in Atlanta, the exhibition features the works of Kim Chong Hak, a master painter from South Korea known as “the painter of Seoraksan”—the highest peak in the Taebaek mountain range. Showcasing more than seventy pieces, including recent additions to the High’s collection, this event spans Kim’s mature career and highlights a lesser-known aspect of late twentieth-century Korean art.
Initially an abstract painter in the 1960s, Kim eventually distanced himself from Western-style abstraction, which he believed was a response to the national melancholy stemming from decades of hardship. In the late 1970s, he moved to Gangwon Province, the region surrounding Mount Seorak, and sought to forge a new artistic path. Moving away from the monochromatic style that dominated Korean art at the time, Kim embraced a more expressive approach. His dedication to interpreting the beauty of Mount Seorak reflects a deep emotional and artistic connection to the natural world, cultivated through years of self-imposed isolation in the mountains.
