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인물일대—탐구 (Inquiry from A Pair of Figures series) by 이유태 Lee Yootae (Korean) - Ink & color on paper / 1944 - National Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art (Seoul, Korea) #womeninart #science #art #womensart #KoreanArt #LeeYooTae #LeeYoo-Tae #artwork #신여성 #portraitofawoman #korean #이유태 #MMCA #국립현대미술관
Echoing colonial Korea’s ambiguous response to modernization and female empowerment, Korean artist Lee Yootae (이유태) made a diptych (two-part series) of paintings called "A Pair of Figures" to be displayed alongside each other. The pairing challenges conventional notions of women and art, displaying a complex interweaving of the traditional and the contemporary within a dynamic and charged sociopolitical sphere. In "Inquiry," the portrayal of a researcher in her lab is a testament to the evolving role of women in the twentieth century. The rise of the 신여성 (aka “modern girl” or “new woman”) in Korea mirrored a global trend. The advanced lab, complete with glass equipment, microscopes, and batteries, highlights Korea’s involvement in scientific research. While exemplifying contemporary social shifts, the researcher is not disconnected from the past—beneath her white lab coat she wears a hanbok, a traditional Korean garment. Between the white lapels, a one-bow tie and overlapping collar with white trim are just visible. The other painting in the diptych is "Composing a Verse in Response" which a portrays of a seemingly “traditional” woman in a modern domestic interior. Lee Yootae (pen name Hyeoncho) first learned painting from Kim Eunho in 1935. He moved to Japan in 1938 to study at Kawasaki Ryuich’s art studio at the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts. He showed his potential by winning the government's general award and the Changdeokgung Palace award at the Joseon Art Exhibition in 1943 and 1944, and then worked as a professor at Ewha Womans University from 1947 to 1979. He excelled at female figure paintings to portray idealized representations of the modern era by combining the realism of Western styles, a classical academicist Eastern techniques, and bright colors together. After Korean independence, he created grand landscape paintings depicting the natural beauty of Korea.
March 8, 2025 at 6:36 PM