East meets West in etching and watercolor

The Eastern and Western worlds come together in the artwork of South Korean professor Dong-Lim Chung, whose exhibit, The Joy of Prints, is now on display in the Portland State MK Gallery.

“I remember thinking: ‘How can I translate the strong impression from the scenery?’” Chung said, reflecting on her first visit to Multnomah Falls just days after her arrival to Oregon in February. “I wanted to express the emotional feeling by using colorful media.”

Her arrival to the state served as the inspiration for the artwork on display this month. She ties her appreciation for Oregon’s natural splendor with her love of Korea. Her art combines her experience in Oregon with elements of traditional Korean art, showcased in two distinct bodies of work.

The first features prints in watercolor and screen-printing and focuses on the natural environment of Oregon.

To achieve this effect, Chung applied a vivid palette of colors to the scenery and background, creating an effect reminiscent of Impressionism. Rolling washes of tones gather in her skies, like dancing clouds in oranges and lavenders, set over silhouettes of trees and other flora. In some cases, the shadowy areas are stark and black; in others, she washes them in colors analogous to those of the backdrop, creating an effect of gentle shadow. The perspective of these pieces, often beneath a canopy of leaves and branches, results in an interlocking pattern of unique shapes.

Chung’s second body of work harkens back to her home in South Korea, touching on the traditional artwork found in ancient Goguryeo tomb paintings.

These murals, which are found in burial mounds throughout Korea, reflect early Korean culture and art in symbolic depictions of animals, mythological creatures and hunts. Their purpose was to wish the dead a peaceful rest and they were portrayed in various images and contents. Chung borrows from the concepts in those images to produce detailed line-work etchings in muted tones.

Chung’s time in Oregon has helped her to develop a new perspective on the old art back home.

“It’s been a really good experience for me,” Chung said. “In Korea, I never considered the kind of meaning of animals, the interpretation of figures as symbols.”

Lately, she’s begun employing techniques she only recently learned here on campus.

“This is all a new avenue for her work,” said Eleanor Erskine, assistant professor of art at PSU. Erskine instructs the printmaking courses in which Chung has studied, and helped organize the exhibition.

“In textiles she’s very knowledgeable about color,” Erskine said. “This has been an experience, using printmaking to bring two worlds together, so it has two parts: It has her history and this new experience.”

As a visiting scholar and professor of fiber arts at Seoul’s Kyungwon University, Chung is no stranger to the art world. She has studied in universities throughout Korea and spent time studying art in Chicago and Urbana, Ill.

In addition, she has published two books in Korea: Dyeing (2000) and Color, Expression and Fashion (2005). Both books offer instruction in her fields of fiber arts and paper making at intermediate and advanced levels. Her work has been shown in galleries throughout Korea and the U.S.

Others involved in the exhibition include the Institute for Asian Studies, who provided funding for the forthcoming opening reception, and professor Junghee Lee. Lee has been involved in the exchange of scholars and exhibitions since 1996 with Korea’s University of Ulsan.

The exhibition runs from Nov. 1 through 22 in the Art Building’s MK Gallery. The opening reception will be held Nov. 3 from 5 to 7 p.m. The reception will be informal and refreshments will be offered.

“I’m very excited to see it all together in one place,” Erskine said. “To see how it feels and how it represents [Chung’s] experience.”