Painter Park Min-pyeong's 50-year artistic trajectory highlighted for contributing to the diversity and individuality of regional art

The Jeonbuk Provincial Museum of Art (Director Lee Ae-seon) announced that the exhibition "Park Min-pyeong: Varied Landscapes" will be held from the 25th of this month to July 13th in exhibition halls 1 to 4 of the main building as the fourth installment of the Jeonbuk Art History Research Series.

This exhibition sheds light on the late Park Min-pyeong (1940-2019), who traversed between figurative and non-figurative art in the Jeonbuk art scene of the 1970s and 80s, establishing a unique artistic style. During a time when figurative painting dominated the regional art scene, Park Min-pyeong's experimentation with combining color planes and symbolism, while rejecting repetition, brought new diversity and individuality to the local art scene.

Hailing from Buan, Park Min-pyeong received formal art education from Huh Byeong, a renowned artist, while attending Jeonju High School, and later graduated from Seorabeol University of Arts before starting his teaching career in Gunsan and Iksan. Upon assuming a position at Jeonju Seongsim Girls' Middle and High School in 1971, he dedicated himself to his artistic endeavors and continued to collaborate with local artists.

The exhibition is curated with a total of 105 pieces of artwork under the theme "Reality - Color Planes - Stories - Varied Landscapes," arranged chronologically to showcase the evolution of his artistic style from his high school years to his final days.

In the 1970s, his works focused on themes like mountains and sunflowers, characterized by dark and intense colors, simplified forms, and flat compositions. By the 1980s, his compositions shifted to placing a single mountain at the center, presenting landscapes closer to color plane abstraction. In the 1990s, he experimented with incorporating a folk and poetic sentiment into his color palette. Post-2000, his works featured a harmonious blend of empty spaces and seasonal colors, transforming the shape of mountains into objects of serene contemplation.

The Jeonbuk Provincial Museum of Art structured this exhibition not only to showcase Park Min-pyeong's individual works but also to illuminate his participation in group exhibitions and collaborative activities with local artists, aiming to broaden the scope of regional art history research.

Director Lee Ae-seon expressed, "This exhibition is an important research achievement that comprehensively showcases the flow of the regional art scene through the life of one artist," adding, "I hope this exhibition serves as an opportunity to reflect on the traces and significance left by the artist Park Min-pyeong in Jeonbuk art."

The opening ceremony was postponed due to the early presidential election, and detailed information about the exhibition can be found on the Jeonbuk Provincial Museum of Art's website.