Now On View
Upcoming
Past Exhibitions
Visitor Information
 


Korean Sensibilities: The Colors of Life
Collection Insights
September 14, 2002–December 14, 2003
SAM Third Floor Galleries


The Seattle Art Museum’s Korean galleries brim with colorful fabrics, paintings, ceramics, and handicrafts from the permanent and private collections. Korean Sensibilities is a joint exhibition being presented at both SAM downtown and SAAM Volunteer Park. Throughout history, the Korean use of color has been influenced by everything from shamanism to the principles of yin and yang, introduced from China. Blue, white, red, black, and yellow are the five key colors, and each has a distinct meaning related to the cosmos and human life. Though the use of vivid and delicate color was rigidly limited to people of the court and nobility during the Choson period (1392-1910), the general public began to use it in the late nineteenth century with Western modernization. Selected objects from the twelfth century to the present will be on view in this first installation; textiles and paintings will be changed partway through the exhibition.

Pojagi (wrapping cloth)
Korea, late 19th century
Silk gauze (patchwork)
29 1/2 x 29 1/2 in.
Purchased with funds from the Margaret E. Fuller Purchase Fund, the Asian Art Purchase Fund and the Korean Art Purchase Fund, 96.21

 

Home
Past Exhibitions
Click it for our interactive! Click it for our video! Click it for our document!