Language
People
Seo Se-ok - Lines and Space
These "People" works are by Korean modern ink master Seo Se-ok (1929-2020). He reinterpreted traditional ink painting with contemporary sensibility.
Look closely—no complex colors or details, just black ink lines, dots, and empty space. Yet feel people's warmth and movement in that simplicity.
Growing up through war and division, Seo wanted new possibilities for Eastern painting. In the 1960s, he formed "Ink Forest Society" with like-minded artists, using traditional materials for completely new modern art.
See "Dancing People." He didn't draw accurate human forms, but doesn't it look like people dancing together? This is his genius—maximum emotion with minimum lines.
"People Standing Upside Down" expresses life's instability. Sometimes the world feels upside down—he captured that with just a few lines.
Different "People" works tell different stories—busy commutes, folk dances, lonely individuals.
Seo's specialty: what he didn't draw. Empty space plays crucial roles, making lines more alive and leaving room for imagination.
He said: "Paint the invisible rather than visible"—inner emotions, not external appearances.
These works show connection and relationship—people holding hands, moving together. Community over individuals, togetherness rather than solitude.
Standing before his paintings brings calm, making us pause and look within ourselves.
These people might still be dancing beside us—warm beings helping us feel we're not alone.
His lines and spaces still quietly ask: "What heart are you living with today?“
Look closely—no complex colors or details, just black ink lines, dots, and empty space. Yet feel people's warmth and movement in that simplicity.
Growing up through war and division, Seo wanted new possibilities for Eastern painting. In the 1960s, he formed "Ink Forest Society" with like-minded artists, using traditional materials for completely new modern art.
See "Dancing People." He didn't draw accurate human forms, but doesn't it look like people dancing together? This is his genius—maximum emotion with minimum lines.
"People Standing Upside Down" expresses life's instability. Sometimes the world feels upside down—he captured that with just a few lines.
Different "People" works tell different stories—busy commutes, folk dances, lonely individuals.
Seo's specialty: what he didn't draw. Empty space plays crucial roles, making lines more alive and leaving room for imagination.
He said: "Paint the invisible rather than visible"—inner emotions, not external appearances.
These works show connection and relationship—people holding hands, moving together. Community over individuals, togetherness rather than solitude.
Standing before his paintings brings calm, making us pause and look within ourselves.
These people might still be dancing beside us—warm beings helping us feel we're not alone.
His lines and spaces still quietly ask: "What heart are you living with today?“