If a movie dealing with Lee Jung-seob as the subject matter were to be made, it would include Jeju’s Seogwipo as the main filming location. The southern Jeju city of Seogwipo is known to be a place where the legendary painter spent his short but sweet honeymoon period with his wife Lee Nam-deok. Having fled from Wonsan during the January-Fourth Retreat after the Korean War broke out, Lee and his family stayed in Seogwipo from January 1951 to the end of that year. Despite the short period on the island, he was able to produce many works including ‘Scenery with Seopseom Island in the Distance.’ Many of his frequently-used indigenous motifs, such as ‘island,’ ‘crab,’ ‘fish,’ and ‘tangerine,’ have deep connections to this period.

Seogwipo, which occupies a very important phase in the artist’s 40-year-long life riddled with severe poverty and solitude, has naturally seen the rise of landmarks themed on Lee Jung-seob. The small room(4.6㎡) where Lee and his four-member family had stayed has been restored as ‘Lee Jung-seob Residence’ while the nearby area in Jeongbang-dong, Seogwipo has been designated as ‘Lee Jung-seob Street.’ The Lee Jung-seob Art Gallery opened there featuring Lee’s artworks, his old palettes, and the couple’s correspondences donated by his wife. If you are a fan of his work, chances are that you have already been to Seogwipo tracing the footsteps of his life. So until very recently, the island city had nothing new to offer regarding the genius painter. That is not the story any more.

The title signifies that the painting was created in 1951 when Lee was living in Seogwipo and that they are returning to the birthplace in 2021, which is 70 years later. The collection on the first-floor permanent exhibition room at the gallery includes a metal foil drawing of children and a crab, ‘Boys Playing with Fish’ reminiscing a time on the Seogwipo beach, and ‘Two Children with Fish (1954)’ which was his gift to his sons. A must-see painting is ‘Scenery with Seopseom Island in the Distance.’ He lived in a house facing the ocean during his stay in Seogwipo. The view from his house would have placed Seopseom to the left, Munseom in the center, and Saeseom to the right. The painting is a direct reflection of what he saw.

Combined with the latest donation, the Lee jung-seob Art Gallery now owns a total of 299 items including 60 original artworks by Lee. It is a space fully devoted to supporting studies on Lee’s life and art, as well as offering a place where his fans can share their passion. If you are new to the artist’s world, you can learn more about him in the second-floor special exhibition room. The special exhibition chronicles his life and art. Featuring the works that have already been known, the exhibition will give you a rare, amazing experience of seeing many of them in person at once. Take a walk around Seogwipo while the impression from the art gallery is still fresh in your mind.

Lee Kun-hee Collection, Lee Jung-seob Special Exhibition < Return to Seogwipo After 70 Years >
Location 27-3 Ijungseom-ro, Seogwipo-si, Jeju Island
Duration Until March 6, 2022
Hours 09:30-17:20, Closed on Mondays, Advance booking on homepage required
Inquiry +82-64-760-3567
Homepage culture.seogwipo.go.kr/jslee