The Sixth Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art

106 Mansudae Art Studio and art in North Korea (DPRK) Driven, I suppose, by a spirit of curatorial curiosity, the Queensland Art Gallery approached me in early 2005 to find out more about the art and culture of North Korea, or the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). On hearing of my long-term interest in the DPRK through my involvement in a number of film projects, this initial conversation ranged from peering at my collection of propaganda posters and brush-and-ink paintings to talking about the relationships built over 15 years with filmmaker and artist friends. After several meetings, I approached my artist colleagues in the DPRK to discuss the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT) project, and to explore the possibility of presenting work in Brisbane. Almost five years on, these discussions have resulted in an extensive exhibition of art from the DPRK for APT6. At the core of this selection are 13 ambitious new commissions made by eight artists from the Mansudae Art Studio. These are augmented by a significant group of works from my personal collection to provide an added, important context. Few of these works have ever been on public display before, the exception being some of the prints, which are among the most well-known works from Korea to have circulated internationally. A brief history Art today in the DPRK occupies a distinct place within the texture of the culture and is powered by the principle that art contains knowledge — about revolution, for education, for socialism — and takes various forms, from propaganda to images that instruct children about respecting their parents and Korean custom. Art is also made simply to enrich life. After the three-year Korean War stalled in an armistice stalemate in 1953, much art was influenced by the Soviet Union and China through socialist realist styles, until Korea developed its own national style after 1966. Reflecting the state’s ethos of juche (self-reliance), Leader Kim IL Sung instructed the DPRK art world to develop juche art : ‘Let’s develop our national form, with socialist content’. 1 With China and Russia immediately to the north and Japan, separated by the waters of the Korea Strait, to the east, Korea has substantial pressures to accommodate, and also extensive cultures to draw on. The peninsula was essentially ruled — by different dynasties, political powers and ethnicities — as one political entity for over 1000 years, until mid twentieth century conflicts separated it into two. This complex interchange of power and territory has contributed to a long and vital history of art and culture in the region. The Japanese occupation from 1910 to 1945 led to many Korean artists undertaking training in Japan during this period before returning to Korea to practice and teach. Japan, meanwhile, had been exchanging influences with European and North American artists, which affected Japanese practice and teaching. Art education Today, art education is the only method of becoming an artist in the DPRK. The most prestigious art university is the Pyongyang University of Fine Art, which was established in 1947. The main areas of study are brush-and-ink painting or chosunhua — considered to be the most important art form, due to its traditional roots — calligraphy, oil painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, mural painting and the industrial arts. There are other specialist universities, such as the Pyongyang College of Handicrafts, which is responsible for teaching embroidery and lacquer work; the Pyongyang University of Construction and Building Materials, specialising in architecture; and the Pyongyang University of Cinema, which teaches film and film production. Young artists are selected from around the country and, if judged to have sufficient skill, are invited to study at the Pyongyang University of Fine Art. In Pyongyang and the hinterland, there are a number of local colleges for artists who do not reach the grades necessary for admittance to the university. These institutions are not strictly fine art academies as they include other art forms such as dance and design. The Pyongyang University of Fine Art requires a minimum of six to eight years of study. Three years of undergraduate study are followed by postgraduate courses. The usual age to enter university is between 15 and 23 years. Currently, the oil painting department and the chosunhua department enrol 20 students each annually. In total, around 150 students graduate every year in the fine art department (including all arts, from embroidery and ceramics to chosunhua ). After finishing university, students are then selected by the various art studios, the most recognised being Mansudae, Paekho, Minye and Central. While female painters are in a minority in the chosunhua and oil painting departments, women can obtain revered status as ‘People’s Artist’, like Kim Sung Hui, whose work has a very distinct style. Art studios Artists are employed by the art studio system. Art studios are headed by a director, supported by a first assistant director, and assistant directors, who are responsible for overseeing the creation, organisation, production and distribution of the art. The studios are places where younger members learn from their peers and their more experienced colleagues. For example, in the ink painting department of Mansudae Art Studio, there are around 100 artists assigned to 5 teams, and a team leader is responsible for the development of the artists’ work. Every morning, artist teams participate in a life-drawing class with artists either posing or sketching. Artists share a studio with others (around two to five artists per room), with some highly regarded artists having their own studio.