Kim Chang Ho (20th/21st Century) Korean, Acrylic on Canvas. Abstract still life. Signed "Kiho" and dated 2001 upper left. Attribution, medium, size, year, and style written on back, with an arrow explaining where the top of the painting is. 

Overall: 30 1/2 X 28 1/2 in. 

Sight: 29 1/2 X 27 1/2 in. 

Depth: 2 1/8 in. 

#3795 . 

Dansaekhwa, also known as Tansaekhwa, is a term used to describe a group of artworks exhibited in South Korea in the 1970s with origins in the 50s and 60s, characterized by a focus on mark, line, frame, surface, and space within painting. Literally translated as "monochrome painting," the works sparked contentious debates about the definition of contemporary Korean art, with artists like Cho Yong-ik, Choi Myoung Young, Chung Chang-sup, Ha Chong Hyun, and Lee Ufan considered leaders of the revolutionary movement. These artists, coming of age after the Korean War and the division of the country along the 38th Parallel, rejected traditional styles and manifestos and instead explored abstraction and experimental figural concepts. Dansaekhwa artists drew inspiration from their environment and history, but were criticized for incorporating "Western" influences into their work. The movement finally gained international recognition through exhibitions in Tokyo, Paris, and Seoul, leading to the dominance of the art form in the 1980s. However, the movement began to fracture shortly thereafter as accusations of being co-opted by the state for use in propaganda flourished, with many artists leaving the country to work elsewhere, particularly in the United States. In the 1990s and 2000s efforts were made to document the history of Dansaekhwa and recognize the contributions of second-generation artists who revitalized and expanded upon the work of their predecessors. This led to further disintegration of the group as artists began rejecting any categorization of their work under Dansaekhwa.