Excavating the Mural of Paradise by Lee Jung-Seob

Abstract

Abstract Lee Jung-Seob (1916–1956) cultivated his artistic talent in the dynamic and progressive environment of Pyongyang and Tokyo during the Japanese colonial period (1910–45), presenting expressionistic paintings of bulls, experimental tinfoil drawings, and playful illustrations, filled with animistic symbolism and Surrealist local style. He always yearned to paint a large-scale masterpiece like a mural but could not achieve this goal in the turmoil of the Korean War (1950–53) and its aftermath. This paper explores the seeds and traces of Lee’s unfulfilled desire to create a monumental mural painting in the context of global art in modern Korea.