Kang’s works tell us ‘memory’ and ‘happiness’ we had once

▲ Artist Kang Myeong-hee

On a scorching day this summer, I paid a visit to artist Kang’s house in Jayang-dong for an interview. She suggested to me to visit the community center nearby where she hung a number of her works. I gladly agreed and we walked into the center and found 5 of her works lined up on the wall opposite of the staff desk.  

A staff said “We thought it was a good idea to hang art works here and asked Kang to do it for us. We call it a special exhibition.” 

I felt the landscape paintings were creating a friendly atmosphere in the community center as if they were welcoming every single visitor. Then I felt the need to see more of her works and urged her to move to her studio. Stepping on the studio, I was charmed by the beautiful landscape paintings and I wished I could live at a place like this.

Water in the valley, reeds on the ridges, golden barleys on the field brought me to my long forgotten hometown. I felt really comfortable and the comfort turned to a nostalgia and touch in no time because the ‘realism’ the works deliver.

Kang made herself conspicuous at school with her talent in art and swept numerous prizes at various competitions. But she had to face her parent’s objection to being an artist which cut her artistic career until she became independent. It was when she became a housewife that she enrolled on a course at Hongik University Art Learning Center on which she learned landscape and literary paintings as well as western paintings. 

Some of her representative works to name are ‘Scent of Grass’, ‘Zhangjiajie’, ‘Gwongeumseong Seoraksan Mountain’, ‘Lyric of Autumn’, ‘Song of Autumn’, ‘Autumn in Cheonhwangsan Mountain’, ‘Autumn Festival in Seonunsa Temple’ and ‘At Lakeside’. 

Also worth mentioning are ‘At Travel Destination’, ‘Break At Fishing Village’, ‘Like The Water Light’, ‘Salt Warehouse’ and ‘Santorini’. 

It has been 40 years since Kang put up a brush. She has created many works themed on Korean and European landscapes. Her execution is accurate, the color beautiful and the composition marvelous. 

“I wish to deliver ‘memory’ and ‘happiness’ to the people through my works” says Kang who lived in the countryside and Seoul for a long time. “I try to give city dwellers, who grew up in the countryside, ‘idyllic surroundings’ so that they feel long time forgotten memory and happiness of their hometown. People say we get older because of the time but some say we do because we lost our dream.” 

Currently, Kang is a member of steering committee of the Korea Women Artists Association and a member of Ilwonhoe. 

▲ 설악산 권금성