North Korean art: pure kitsch or misunderstood masterpieces? | NK News
NK News Logo
December 26, 2024

NK News is hiring

Evergreen

North Korean art: pure kitsch or misunderstood masterpieces?

In a new book, Georgetown Professor B.G. Muhn wants viewers to see the beauty in Chosonhwa

North Korean art - known as Chosonhwa - has a reputation for being kitschy. Artist and Professor B.G. Muhn - who teaches painting at Georgetown University - hopes to change this perception. He says the DPRK's socialist realism "attempts to show reality by expressing the subtlety of human’s inner emotion."

Having visited Pyongyang nine times between 2011 and 2016, Professor Muhn has now published a book: "Pyongyang Art: Uncovering the Complex Layers of Chosonhwa," which he describes as the first focused on North Korean art.

Try unlimited access
Only $1 for four weeks

  • Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis
  • Year-one discount if you continue past $1 trial period
  • The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop
  • Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns
  • Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting
Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts.
Subscribe now

All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time.