Hong Song-dam (; born 1955) is a South Korean artist specializing in

woodcuts Woodcut is a relief printing technique in printmaking. An artist carves an image into the surface of a block of wood—typically with gouges—leaving the printing parts level with the surface while removing the non-printing parts. Areas that ...

and best known for his involvement in the Minjung movement. He was born on the island of Hauido and raised in

Gwangju Gwangju () is South Korea's sixth-largest metropolis. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister. The city was also the capital of South Jeolla Province until the provincial office ...

, where he took part in the 1980

uprising Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...

against Chun Doo-hwan's military dictatorship. He became well known for making prints related to the acts committed by the government under Chun in Seoul, leading to much controversy surrounding his art. After the Gwangju Uprising he became politically active, and in July 1989 was arrested for allegedly breaking the National Security Act (he had sent slides of a mural he had created, along with around 200 other South Korean artists, to North Korea).

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...

adopted him as a prisoner of conscience, and he was released from prison in the early 1990s. He is an acclaimed member of the

Minjung art Minjung art (Korean: 민중미술, romanization: ''minjung misul'') emerged during the 1980s in South Korea as part of the Minjung movement in the wake of the Gwangju Uprising (1980). Minjung artists utilized a wide array of forms, including oil p ...

movement, and in 1996 was commissioned by the Government of South Korea to create a 42-metre mural for Chonnam National University.

Involvement in the Minjung Movement

Many of Hong's works in the 1980's dealt with the acts committed by the Seoul government under Chun Doo-hwan's dictatorship. Hong's works showcase a rough timeline, starting with the Gwangju Uprising in May 1980 and continuing for the next few decades, even following his imprisonment in 1987. This imprisonment was based on charges of collaborating with North Korea after he designed a mural critical of South Korean life.

Works

While Hong is most well known his woodcuts in the Minjung movement, he creates art in a variety of other mediums as well. He is also known for his mural and painting work, which often deals with current political issues. Hong's art also concerns national events, such as disasters and political happenings, such as the 2014 Sewol Ferry Disaster.

References

Bibliography

* Lee, S. (2013). ''Being political popular: South Korean art at the intersection of popular culture and democracy''. Hyunsil pub.

External links

Hong Song-dam's ''Resurrection'' at glasgowmuseums.com
1955 births Amnesty International prisoners of conscience held by South Korea Living people South Korean artists South Korean prisoners and detainees {{SouthKorea-artist-stub