The Seongbuk-gu Lee Man-lyn Art Museum is holding a special exhibition titled ‘People of the Sculptor’ to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the museum’s opening and the fifth anniversary of the sculptor Lee Man-lyn’s passing. The exhibition is divided into two parts, with Part 1 ‘Sculptures of the Times’ running from April 10 to June 28, and Part 2 ‘Sculptures of Relationships’ from September 4 to November 29.
Part 1 focuses on the artistic worlds and relationships of five sculptors, including Lee Man-lyn himself, his mentor Kim Jong-young, his colleague Kwon Jin-kyu, and his juniors and seniors at Seoul National University, Song Young-soo and Park Byung-wook. These artists lived in the Seongbuk area from the late 1940s, continuing their creations and exchanges.
The exhibition is centered on human body sculptures from the 1950s-60s, featuring major terracotta works such as Kim Jong-young’s ‘Bathing Afterwards’, Lee Man-lyn’s ‘Seated Figure’, Park Byung-wook’s ‘Commemoration II’, Kwon Jin-kyu’s ‘Seated Woman’, and Song Young-soo’s ‘Reclining Woman’, along with drawings, photos, and videos. Notably, four newly discovered works by Lee Man-lyn and one untitled piece by Song Young-soo will be revealed for the first time.
In the context of Western sculpture influences that became prominent post-liberation, these sculptors experimented with form, emphasizing simplified shapes, textures, and volumes based on a study of the human body and nature. Kwon Jin-kyu, utilizing sculptural techniques learned in Japan, presented figurative sculptures using terracotta and stone, while Kim Jong-young, Lee Man-lyn, Park Byung-wook, and Song Young-soo laid the foundation for modern Korean sculpture, centered around Seoul National University.
The second part, opening in September, will highlight the cultural and artistic exchanges Lee Man-lyn had with various artists during his lifetime, focusing on archival materials. It will include relationships with Kim Se-jung, Kim Nam-jo, Yi O-ryeong, Kim Soo-geun, among others, showcasing collaborations and exchanges with artists from different fields such as literature, music, and architecture.
This special exhibition not only introduces the works of the artists but also highlights their shared empathy and influences, and the significance of Seongbuk as a space for their creative endeavors. It offers visitors an immersive look into the flow of modern Korean sculpture history and re-evaluates the value of places where artists’ lives and art intersect.
The exhibition takes place at the Seongbuk-gu Lee Man-lyn Art Museum, open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10 AM to 6 PM, and closed on Sundays, Mondays, and public holidays. Admission is free and can be booked via Naver or visited in person.
