Colourful amalgamation of Indian and Korean art

Indian artist Mahaveer Swami and Park Sung Yu from Korea who are pursuing contemporary art keeping traditional art technique as the bedrock and focussing on the spirit of their respective country have displayed their work in the exhibition titled ‘Unknown Journey’.

The two artists explore the world of art in their own unique way. Both the artists enjoy the curiosity and spirit that comes along with the unknown journey they take to that world of creativity.

Park Sung Yu is an artist who paints elements from Korean traditional paintings like flowers and grass from a present day perspective. He explores wild flowers and grass as subjects of his works which escapes the interest of the common and ordinary.

“Everyone is fond of beautiful flowers. Nobody remembers wild flowers and grass. They are the existences that withstand the rough soil, overcoming extreme weather conditions. The subject always motivates me,” says Park.

Interestingly, these little appreciated fragments of nature are displayed in a dreamlike and surreal atmosphere and reflects the inner curiosity and feelings of the artist. But the artist always uses dull colours in all his paintings which “is like calmness to me,” says Park, who is exhibiting his work for the second time
in India.

On the other hand, Mahaveer Swami is an artist who continues the tradition of Indian miniature paintings. Swami became interested in the old paintings and nature that he encountered while he travelled to Korea. Those images deeply imprinted in his mind and later found expression in his art works.

Mahaveer reproduced masterpieces of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea as exquisite miniature paintings in his own style. He even adopted common grass and animals he saw on the Korean roads as subjects of his paintings. All are derived from the artistic curiosity that knows no era or boundary.

“I hope that this exhibition reminds us of the true meaning of the unfamiliar journey that everyone takes subconsciously, by the way of these two artists from two different cultural backgrounds, conversing with each other through their artworks” said Insang Song, curator of the exhibition.

The exhibition is on till February 28 at Korean Cultural Centre from 10 am to 6:30 pm (Monday to Friday).