Inside North Korean Art Scene: A Journey Through Its Masterpieces

Posted by: lukwago J in Life style April 20, 2023

North Korea, a beautiful Asian nation, has some wonderful art pieces to its share. However, only a little is known by the world about North Korean art as it has been a secretive country since the beginning. But still, its art has managed to reach the outer world and impress them with its unique characteristics.

The history of North Korean art is impressive and bent toward portraying the ruling family as supreme. In addition, the art pieces follow social realism to a great extent and have undergone a long journey of influences ranging from that of the Soviet bloc to Chinese and different religious strains.

So, what is the journey of North Korean art masterpieces? What are the integral aspects of North Korean art that make it stand apart from the western world? Well, the answer lies within the art world of North Korea only.

Journey of North Korean Art World Through Its Masterpieces

Let us walk through the fabulous showpieces of North Korean art, which have never failed to leave a mark on the spectators.

Mansudae Art Studio

The Mansudae art studio is one of the largest art production centers in the entire world. Located in Pyeongcheon District, North Korea, the art center was founded in the year 1959. The studio is a significant center employing 4000 employees, of which 1000 people are artists selected from some of the best art academies in North Korea.

The artists at the center have been classified into 13 groups, with artists working on ceramics, woodcuts, charcoal drawings, jewel paintings, and embroidery. The art center has been credited with designing and producing great monuments of importance for North Korea.

These monuments include the Chollima Statue, the Monument to the Founding of the Korean Workers Party, and the Mansu Hill Grand Monument.

Written Pieces

As per the creative sphere of North Korea, Kim II-sung has been classified as a brilliant writer who has produced great classical writing masterpieces. The novels which have been written under his guidance include ‘The Flower Girl,’ The Song of Korea,’ and the ‘Fate of a Self-Defense Corps Man.’

These written pieces are based on the ideology of social realism by the name of ‘Juche.’ In fact, social realism has a significant influence on the art masterpieces of the nation. This is why a 1992 newspaper report explained the writings of Kim II-sung as an epic portraying the freedom struggle and people’s happiness.

Literature and Films

Literature, just like other art pieces, is dominated majorly by political themes. For example, major historical novels have been written to portray the struggle and heroism of the preliberation period.

Some of the major novels, including the Koren War, focus on the theme of The Burning Island and Korean Fights. Also, many plays have been written based on literary pieces, such as The Shrine for a Tutelary Deity. This play is a theatrical portrayal of The Flower Girl, produced by Kim II-sung during the anti-Japenese struggle.

As far as films are concerned, North Korean leadership considers them one of the best and most powerful mediums for educating the commoner. For example, the movie ‘An Jung-Geun Shoots Ito Hirobumi’ tells the story of an assassin who successfully killed the resident-general of Japan in Korea in 1909.

Other famous movies include ‘The Tale of Chun Hyang,’ and ‘The Tale of On Dai.’ Due to Kim Jong-il’s interest in cinema, the nation has witnessed great works in the world of movies. Jong-il enjoyed a massive library of Asian and Western movies and even got two movie makers from South Korea kidnapped by the authorities to make movies for North Korea.

Final Words

North Korean art has many beautiful pieces in different spheres of creativity to its credit. Be it literature, paintings, movies, music, or writing, North Korea has something fabulous to offer to creative lovers.

In fact, it is much more than being the ‘art of propaganda’ as termed by the western world. The journey of art pieces in North Korea is an interesting one that portrays the struggle of artists and creators trying to create amazing wonders of art.

The need remains to research well and get hooked on the masterpieces created by outstanding artists of North Korea, the secretive country. Happy studying!

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