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LACMA PRESENTS 300 YEARS OF RARE KOREAN
BUDDHIST PAINTINGS

Drawing on Faith:
Ink Paintings for Korean Buddhist Icons
August 21, 2003-January 11, 2004

LOS ANGELES: The Los Angeles County Museum of Art presents an exhibition of rare Korean Buddhist ink paintings created over the past 300 years. The works of art include details, individual figure studies, and complex compositions-many of very large size-dedicated to divinities that were extremely popular in Choson dynasty Korean Buddhism (1392-1910).

Most of the works are brushed in ink on paper; some show thin, highly controlled, unmodulated lines that resemble fine wire, while others display inflected strokes that reveal the expressive possibilities of the flexible brush. All relate to the process of creating wall paintings for Korean Buddhist temples and thus reflect a valued, conservative artistic tradition governed by models.

The ink paintings, which served as models, were copied to make underdrawings that were glued behind silk, cotton, or hemp, the visible lines guiding the creation of color paintings on cloth. Two polychrome paintings, exhibited alongside their (now separated) underdrawings, illustrate the relationship between the last stages of traditional Korean Buddhist image making. While polychrome paintings survive in large numbers, the ink-painted masters and underdrawings are rarely seen.

Asian Art at LACMA

Drawing on Faith: Ink Paintings for Korean Buddhist Icons is presented in conjunction with LACMA's autumn celebration of Asian art. The focus of the celebration is The Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art (October 5, 2003, through January 4, 2004), a major international exhibition of approximately 160 of the finest Tibetan, Nepalese, Mongolian, Indian, and Chinese paintings, sculptures, textiles, and ritual implements. Salvation: Images of the Buddhist Deity of Compassion (August 14, 2003, through July 5, 2004) celebrates the importance of the Buddhist deity Avalokiteshvara with extraordinary sculpture and paintings from LACMA's permanent collection. Exhibited works span 1,500 years. Transmitting Culture: Korean Ceramics from Korean American Collections (August 21, 2003, through January 11, 2004) presents 50 ceramic works of art from fifth century AD through the 20th century.

In addition to these exhibitions, LACMA's departments of education, film, and music will present events that highlight the rich culture and history of Asia.

About LACMA

Established as an independent institution in 1965, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art has assembled a permanent collection that includes approximately 100,000 works of art spanning the history of art from ancient times to the present, making it the premier encyclopedic visual arts museum in the western United States. Located in the heart of one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world, the museum uses its collection and resources to provide a variety of educational, aesthetic, intellectual, and cultural experiences for the people who live in, work in, and visit Los Angeles. LACMA offers an outstanding schedule of special exhibitions, as well as lectures, classes, family activities, film programs and world-class musical events.

LACMA's Center for Asian Art

The Center for Asian Art at LACMA is composed of the departments of Ancient and Islamic, South and Southeast Asian, Chinese and Korean, and Japanese art. The Center is further enriched by Asian works and expertise housed in the independent department of Costume and Textiles. The departments within the Center for Asian Art possess several collections of international standing. The museum's South Asian, Korean, and Edo-period Japanese holdings are the finest and most comprehensive in America. Other artistic traditions such as Chinese lacquers are represented by notable groups of extraordinary artistic quality. The Asian Center also maintains an international reputation for pioneering scholarly exhibitions, publications, and symposia. The Asian Center complements LACMA's other Centers of Art, which promote cross-departmental programming in order to present collections, exhibitions and events in new and innovative ways.

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Credits: This exhibition was organized by the Dongguk University Museum, Seoul. Generous financial support has been provided by the Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles. Transportation assistance was provided by Korean Air. 

Curators: J. Keith Wilson, chief curator, Asian Art, LACMA