Korean abstract art first appeared in the 1930s through the works of Kim Whanki (김환기) and Yoo Yoongkuk (유영국). Many of these young artists at that time had gone to study abroad in Japan where this trend was slowly emerging. However, it wasn’t until the 1970s that abstract art really became popular among Korean artists. The main reason for its emergence was the need to express casualties of war and political regimes through a different visual language. Influences came from Western magazines and artists that both played a profound role in the evolution of Dansaekhwa. The literal meaning of the word “dansaekhwa” means to paint in a single color, therefore monochrome paintings.

The term itself was met with criticism due to the meaning behind the words, leading some critics to say that it referred solely to color and surface and not the deeper aesthetics of each work, however, the term was widely accepted in 2002 at the exhibit curated by Yoon Jinsup (윤진섭) called “Dansaekhwa: Korean Monochrome Painting” at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Korea.

The Dansaekhwa movement was in fact founded by the following painters: Park Seo-bo (박서보), Kwon Young-woo (권 영우), Yun Hyong-keun (윤형근) and Ha Chong-hyun (하종현). All of them exhibited various monotone paintings in solo shows in 1973, 1974 and at the 1975 showcase in Tokyo.

Below you will see some central pieces representing each painter:

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