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
B.G. Muhn (Kim In Sok, A Shower at the Bus Stop, 2018, Chosonhwa, 217x433cm) Do not duplicate or distribute all the photos without written permission from B.G. Muhn
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.
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.
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