The Korean Cultural Center in Hungary opened its new temporary exhibition titled Lee Seungchul: I am a Korean painter - Hanji paper, natural colors, installations on 26 February. The exhibition was opened by His Excellency Ambassador of Korea Kyudok HONG. The opening was followed by the welcoming speech of Hye Ryong YU, the new Director of the Korean Cultural Center. 

Lee Seungchul's artistic endeavors center on reinterpreting Hanji, a traditional Korean material, through a modern aesthetic lens. Delving into the physical properties inherent in Hanji, he has crafted various objects that symbolize Korea's identity, including the ‘Bodhisattva of Wisdom', 'Dal Hangari’ (moon jars), and 'Bandaji’ (Korean wooden chest).  The focus of the Budapest exhibition will be the display of the ‘Thousand Buddhas’, meticulously carved from Hanji reliefs, the first of its kind in Europe. Boasting more than three hundred dazzling Korean colors and decorated with fabrics, the immersive experience of the ‘Mirror Room’ allows visitors to connect with the sensory experience of natural hues in an endless display. In addition to his artistic activities, Lee Seungchul is also an accomplished antiques collector, exhibiting for the first time in his long career, artifacts related to the Hanji.

Another topicality and significance of the exhibition is that Hanji is being considered for inscription as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage site in 2026.

The exhibition can be visited in the opening hours of the Korean Cultural Center until 28 June. 

More information: hungary.korean-culture.org