Art

Hangukhwa is the folk art of traditional Korean painting and the Jaisohn Center is offering the public a rare chance to view the works of contemporary artists. The Jaisohn Center, in Northeast Philadelphia, is a community organization that serves the Korean-American population with a medical clinic, social services and cultural classes. The exhibit, "Our "Hangukhwa' Korean Painting," curated by Young Shim Chung, is part of a yearlong celebration commemorating the 30 years the center has been in operation.

Many of these Korean-American painters learned the finer points of hangukhwa from their parents, who are skilled artists themselves. The mixed-media style uses ink sticks, glue and paints on handmade rice paper called "hanji." Even the watercolor paints are made from organic materials; for example, the color white is created from pulverized white shell particles, says Sookyung Oh, Jaisohn's program coordinator. (See Kyungmin Jung's Crags of Ulsan, above.) Hangukhwa incorporates the "beauty of free space. [It's] not rational, it is an expression of the spirit," says Oh. Each painting is usually accompanied by a poem.

This will be the first exhibition for the Korean American Traditional Artists Association, founded in January 2004. The six painters come from Chicago and New York, as well as Philadelphia. Friday's opening reception will also showcase traditional Korean dance performed by acclaimed New York-based artist Songhee Lee. Don't miss this chance to see what hangukhwa is all about, as defined by contemporary Korean-American artists.

"Our 'Hangukhwa' Korean Painting," opening reception Fri., Aug. 12, 7 p.m., through Aug. 16, Jaisohn Center, 6705 Old York Rd., 215-224-2040, www.jaisohn.org.