“Lay Down All Those Pictures”

Here is an interesting story about Korean jewel painting.

A group of Korean artists called on Yuri Pokhodayev, a Russian academician in art, in September 2008.

“Korean jewel painting? What is it? You mean you’re going to hold a show with a hundred pieces,” said the 91-year-old Russian artist. “You’d better do it as a sideshow to 50 pieces of ours, so as not to lose your dignity.”

With his remark, Yuri did not bother to turn his face to the Korean artists, his eyes still looking out of the window.

Yuri Pokhodayev, people’s artist and labour hero of Russia, was a veteran of war against fascist Germany and art supremo. He had several galleries around Russia in which he was entitled to hold a show in his name at any time.

“Bah! I wonder if there is ever such a painting on earth,” the old man moved off, but organized a gallery near the Kremlin for opening a show for Korean art works.

In the run-up to the show, Yuri dropped in at the gallery presumably to take a personal look at the Korean works. Seeing each of them attentively, he was transfixed by them.

“This is evidently a painting, but…” he thought in bewilderment.

He stretched out his hand to a picture and scratched a little. There was no sand falling down to his surprise. He stared at the works again and again, near and far off. They were to his liking. They assumed an air of both painting and craftwork, revealing a new technique and style. Yuri found that they have a fine and delicate taste of their own as they are distinctively vivid. That was the first time that he appreciated the jewel painting though he had prided himself on understanding all sorts of artworks in the world and enjoying some fame from many of the artworks putting on display in his galleries.

After a while, he got together with Sin, head of the Korean delegation, who explained to Yuri about how Korean jewel painting came into being and what guidance Comrade Kim Jong Il gave to it. Yuri got to the point with his eyes glowing.

“Lay down all those pictures,” he cried, pointing to the 50 pieces which, according to his recommendation, were displayed together with the Korean artworks.

“Korean jewel painting is rare and gorgeous, and it is something of which you will be proud not only in Russia but even in Paris, with your head held high,” Yuri said.

Thus, the Korean jewel painting show opened with a grand ceremony amid great expectation and interest of the Moscow art circle.

That evening, Yuri invited the Korean delegation to his home.

Baton Carried On

Korean jewel painting enjoys great popularity in the DPRK. It is mostly produced by the Korean jewel painting production unit of the Mansudae Art Studio and other art institutions around the country.

Sin Ye Song, son of Sin Pong Hwa, follows in the footsteps of his father at the Korean jewel painting production unit of the Mansudae Art Studio.

Pyongyang University of Fine Arts runs a department and a course for Korean jewel painting, in which many works of national value have been created.

Sin Pong Hwa often visits his old studio to talk to artists about the road traversed by the Korean jewel painting and its fame. And he gave them tips on developing the painting.

Shortly ago, he was asked to give a lecture at the university.

Jewel paintings are regular exhibits at annual national art shows, and they enrich the garden of the Korean art.

Sin presented “New Litter of Kids” to the fine arts exhibition for aged artists held in April in celebration of the 113th birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung . The work, lifelike and delicate, captured the imagination of visitors.

Yang Ryon Hui