Ten regional artists reinterpret Korean ink-and-colour painting through landscapes, memories and materials rooted in local life

Shades of Ink: Stories of Nonsan, an exhibition featuring artists connected to Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, is running at CN Gallery in Seoul through Oct. 25.

Organised as a Seoul exhibition of regional artists by the Gangyeong Sansogeum Literature Museum, the project was selected through CN Gallery’s venue support program operated by the Chungnam Culture and Tourism Foundation.

The exhibition introduces works by Kang Soo Hee, Kang Sin Young, Ko Mi Kyoung, Kim Gab Soon, Kim Hyun Sook, Shin Hyo Nam, Woo Hyun Jin, Jeon Byeong Woon, Cho Sun Young and Choe Seon Myeong.

Its title refers to nongdam, the tonal range created when ink and water meet. The term also represents the artists’ differing perspectives on nature, history and everyday life.

Nonsan’s landscape has been shaped by the Geum River, its historical sites and the daily experiences of residents. The participating artists draw on this regional environment while developing individual approaches to traditional Korean painting.

The works range from monochrome ink landscapes to coloured paintings and mixed-media pieces. Materials include ink and pigment on Korean paper, powdered colour, lacquer, mother-of-pearl and paper-based fibres.

Among the exhibited works are Kang Soo Hee’s Light of Joy 3, produced with powdered pigment on drawing paper; Kang Sin Young’s ink painting History 02; and Ko Mi Kyoung’s coloured work Starry Night.

Kim Gab Soon presents the ink landscape Deep Mountain 5, while Kim Hyun Sook’s Woman Drying Red Peppers and Children combines Korean paper, sponge, Manila paper and paper cord.

Other works include Woo Hyun Jin’s tiger painting Maenghodo, Jeon Byeong Woon’s Love That Left Autumn Behind, made with colour, mother-of-pearl and lacquer on jangji paper, and Choe Seon Myeong’s ink-and-colour landscape Spring at the Seowon.

The exhibition positions regional practice as part of a wider contemporary art discourse rather than treating it as a separate category. By presenting the artists’ work in Seoul, the project seeks to expand exchange between local art communities and audiences beyond Nonsan.

Shades of Ink: Stories of Nonsan runs through Oct. 25 at CN Gallery, located at 56-7 Bukchon-ro 5-gil in Jongno District, Seoul. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and closed on Mondays and public holidays.

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