The First Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art

Ok-Sang Lim was born in 1950 in Puyeo, South Korea. His extensive art education has included postgraduate work both in Seoul and in Angouleme in France. He has held five solo exhibitions to date, the most recent being in Hoam Gallery, Seoul in 1991. The artist has participated frequently in group exhibitions both in South Korea and internationally, including 'The Exchange Exhibition of Seoul Art Gallery and Angouleme Art Gallery', Seoul, and Angouleme, France, 1983; 'Big City of World and Big City's Future', Milan Triennale, Italy, 1988; and 'Field, Wind, People', OndaraArt Museum, Cheonju, South Korea, 1991. His most recent group exhibition has been 'The North and South Korean Society in Our Vision', Grim Madang Min, Seoul, 1992. The artist's work has been awarded the First Hakwon Art Prize, 1985 and the Ganu Misul Prize in 1991. Works byOk-Sang Lim are represented in several collections in South Korea including the Dong-Ah Press Center, Seoul and Ondara Art Museum, Cheonju. Ok-Sang Lim has lectured in art since 1979 and was Professor of Fine Arts at Cheonju University from 1981 to 1992. Born and raised during the turmoil of the Korean War and educated in art of aca- SOUTH KOREA OK-SANG LIM demism, Ok-Sang Lim as a student was aware of the discipline of Western art. At the same time, he was witnessing the overwhelming social, cultural and political transformations rapidly taking place in Korea during the transition from an agrarian to an industrialising society. In the mid 1970s he was a founding member of a new art movement, Reality and Utterance, whose objective was to deconstruct and reconstruct reality from a new perspective of rekindled historical consciousness of ordinary people. In under- taking this endeavour Ok-Sang Lim did not lose sight of 'high art' and he experimented with a variety of form, medium, technique and approach, even resorting to the spirit of traditional Oriental painting. In his work Ok-Sang Lim aims to present his analytical vision of reality, depicting ordinary people awakening and challenging their aesthetic consciousness into exam- ination, re-examination and reflection of reality. His approach is not short-circuited or provocative but, rather, instructive and enlightened, raising people's awareness of the omnipresence of beauty even in commonplace things. Korean viewers of Ok-.Sang Lim's work are 85 Kim's familyafter the Korean War 1990 Chinese ink and watercolour on Korean paper 131 x198cm Collection: Private collection keenly reminded of the tension that arises from the sudden discovery of contradiction, contrast and absurdity, hitherto unknown or conceived, while finding themselves attracted to the high painterly and artistic qualities. As compatriots sharing the same destiny, living on the same soil and breathing the same air, Korean viewers can reflect on the history of yesterday, today and tomorrow, reading the signs of meaning in every detail. While not losing sight of 'high art', Ok-Sang Lim uses every means available to bring his viewers closer to him even by a few steps. Based on an article by Myung·Shik Koh and biographical data supplied by the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea