London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

LKL book database logo

Selected publications

  • Booklist: Art History (66 titles)
    • Toegye Yi Hwang’s Ten Diagrams on Sage Learning

      In the British Museum’s Korea Gallery can be found a wood block printed book, The Ten Diagrams on Sage Learning, written by Korea’s most famous Confucian scholar, Yi Hwang (이황, also known by his pen name, Toegye, 퇴계) (1501-1570). The volume is on loan from the British Library. The work was completed in 1568 and … [Read More]

      Korean Art PhD: ‘Picturing Migration: Presenting Art Works By Artists From South Korea Working In Britain, 2006-2008’

      LKL contributor Dr Beccy Kennedy gives a flavour of what she has been working on for the past couple of years. ‘…memory organizes representations of the past into a structured sequence that produces a consciousness of an identity through time.’1 The visual and spoken cultural and social perspectives of South Korean artists living and working … [Read More]

      Korean ceramic tea bowls and tea culture

      Eunjung Shin continues her series on themes from the past, inspired by objects in the British Museum’s Korea Gallery. One thousand years ago, drinking tea was an important social activity in Buddhist Korea. After Buddhism was introduced from China in the 4th century it flourished up until the end of the Koryo dynasty (935-1392) in … [Read More]

      Mudang and minhwa

      When we think of pre-modern Korean aesthetics, we think of the restrained tones of Koryo celadon, of the austere white of Choson porcelain, the subdued tones of Chong Son’s landscape paintings. But, as Charlotte Horlyck reminded us in her introduction to the informative day of decorative arts and folk customs at SOAS, that is only … [Read More]

      The World’s Oldest Woodblock Print

      Matthew Jackson explores another of Korea’s contributions to world culture The first printing presses were made out of wood. The process of woodblock printing emerged in the East during the 8th century. For some time, the earliest woodblock print was believed to be a copy of the Diamond Sutra, discovered at Dunhuang in China by … [Read More]

      Koryo Buddhist painting

      Matthew Jackson continues his series of articles about the artistic treasures from Korea’s past The essence of Korea, if you had to sum it up, is ‘hidden virtue’. An innate modesty, or something more profound, means that the good things about Korea tend to hide from me at first glance. While this may make matters … [Read More]

      Inlaying techniques in Korean craft

      Peter Corbishley digests the discussion on Korean crafts at the KCC on 2 Dec Korean porcelain, jewellery, religious artefacts and patchwork is distinguished by inlay using different materials. While inlay techniques might be a common feature of Korean crafts, however, they are not uniquely Korean. The techniques of jewellery making, for example, may well not … [Read More]

      Lecture – Korean Crafts: Ancient & Modern

      To coincide with the current exhibition at the KCC, Korean Painting and Craft Art: Creations from Tradition, there’s a special lecture on 2 December. We are delighted to invite you our special lecture, “Korean Crafts: Ancient & Modern”, on 2nd of December 2008. The lecturer, Professor Pak Youngsook received PhD from Heidelberg University and taught … [Read More]

      Contemporary Korean Art gallery talk

      If you’re free this Friday afternoon it’ll be well worth going along to the KCC to hear Dr Lee Sook-Kyung talk about the current exhibition of works from the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Korea. Dr Lee previously worked as an assistant curator at the museum and is now at Tate Liverpool. The talk … [Read More]

      Study Korean and Japanese Art at SOAS

      A great opportunity to find out more about Korean art: study towards a Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Art. Study Korean and Japanese Art at SOAS — April — July 2008 The former British Museum postgraduate diploma course in Asian Art will now be offered at SOAS from 2008. Korea and Japan are seen in their … [Read More]

      Mingei one-day workshop at the British Museum

      Those who enjoyed the Traditional Yet Contemporary exhibition during the Korean Festival this year may appreciate this one-day workshop at the British Museum on 9 September, 10am-6pm. While the focus is on Japanese work, there is a common thread with the exhibition earlier this year: Bernard Leach. One or two of his works were on … [Read More]