Son Donghyun (36), known for presenting paintings that reinterpret traditional East Asian painting through a contemporary sensibility, was awarded the 15th SongEun Art Award on the 8th.
 
At the SongEun Art Award Exhibition, where four shortlisted artists participated, Son Donghyun presented Six Chivalrous Fighters, a work that reinterprets the “Six Principles” (Yukbeop)—the foundational rules of East Asian painting—as martial artists wielding distinct forms of mugong (martial arts techniques).

The Six Principles originate from the preface to Guhwapumrok (Ancient Classification of Painters), written by the Southern Qi calligrapher and critic Xie He during the Northern and Southern Dynasties period in China, and have since become a cornerstone of literati painting theory from the Song dynasty onward.
 
Among the Six Principles, Giwun Saengdong (氣韻生動), which refers to capturing the vitality and spirit of living subjects, is expressed as a character named “Master Spirit.” Likewise, Golbeop Yongpil (骨法用筆), which emphasizes structural integrity through brushwork and line, becomes “Master Bone Method”; Eungmul Sanghyeong (應物象形), which calls for faithfully representing the actual form of objects, is rendered as “Master Correspondence”; Suryu Buchae (隨類賦彩), which prescribes the appropriate use of color according to the nature of things, appears as “Master Suitability”; and Gyeongyeong Wichi (經營位置), concerning compositional arrangement, is transformed into “Master Planning.” The final principle, Jeoni Mosa (傳移模寫)—the idea of learning by copying and transmitting earlier works—aligns directly with Son Donghyun’s own artistic practice, which is grounded in the contemporary reinterpretation of traditional East Asian painting.

In the past, Son Donghyun has consistently created paintings that reinterpret elements and principles of traditional East Asian painting into contemporary characters. In a solo exhibition held in June last year at Gallery 2 in Sinsa-dong, Seoul, he introduced three personified figures representing plum blossoms, calligraphy, and landscape painting.

Earlier, in a 2014 solo exhibition at Space Willing N Dealing in Bangbae-dong, he presented works that transformed the image of pine trees—seen in traditional Korean paintings such as Irworobongdo (Sun, Moon, and Five Peaks Screen)—into human figures. He also created (Portrait of) the Hip Hop, a work introducing North American hip-hop musicians, for the exhibition 《PEACEMINUSONE》 at the Seoul Museum of Art, held in collaboration with BIGBANG member G-Dragon.
 
Reflecting on the award, Son Donghyun stated, “I’m pleased that my attempt to develop a new series last year led to a positive outcome,” adding, “I will continue to work even harder moving forward.” As the grand prize winner, he receives a cash award of 20 million KRW and the opportunity to hold a solo exhibition at SongEun Art Space. The 15th SongEun Art Award Exhibition, featuring works by Son Donghyun as well as excellence award recipients Bona Park, Junebum Park, and Jaye Rhee, runs through January 30.

References

• 제15회 송은미술대상 동양화가 손동현씨
  Son Donghyun, Oriental Painter, Wins the 15th SongEun Art Award