This paper focuses on the social interaction aspect between Korean and Japanese Artists to analyze the companionship between the two groups. By definition, ‘companionship’ means ‘a feeling of fellowship or friendship’. However, in this paper, I will use the word ‘companionship’ to specifically define the personal and artistic interaction between Korean and Japanese Artists.
Japanese Artists’ appearance in the world of Korean Art was triggered by the invasion and colonialization of Korea. Some of them came to Korea for public missions, serving as military painters or painting instructors, whereas others came for personal reasons, such as immigration or learning. Until the 1910s, the companionship between Korean and Japanese Artists was more of a political event-a byproduct of diplomatic representatives’ public affairs. After the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910, despite the fact that the Japanese colonialization of Korea could have caused a deep divide between Korean and Japanese Artists, the two groups successfully maintained their ties, thanks to Shimizu Toun(淸水東雲, 1868?~1929?) who served as a link.
Shimizu Toun was born in Kyoto. He learned Shijoha(四條派) under Mori Kansai(森寬齋) and Kishi Chikudo(岸竹堂), and he was especially talented in portraits. He was a nameless artist in Japan, but in 1904 he started to live in Korea for the next 25, 26 years, which is when he socialized with Korean artists and befriended them. With connections stemming both from Korean artists and Japanese artists living in Korea, he became a symbolic figure with numerous acquaintances from multiple backgrounds. In addition, Shimizu Toun continued to maintain his companionship with Japanese artists living in Japan, and served as a connection and bridge between Korea and Japan-a feat unrivaled by any other artists living in Korea.
In 1908 after he settled down in Korea, he established a school for painting and photography and started to recruit and teach students. This school is believed to be a private school for Japanese people living in Korea. Artists who graduated from his school developed a very close connection, and were able to employ various painting styles, though most of them still reflected the regional characteristic of Kyoto. This can be seen from the fact that Toun and his pupils named themselves as Yeounsa(如雲社)-a name identical to that of ‘Jounsha’, a late 19th century Kyoto-based artist group. It is thought that Toun and his pupils chose this name so that they could serve as Jounsha’s Korean branch. While Toun was adept at many genres, he was most talented in portrait art that looked elaborate and realistic, which possibly could have influenced Korean art as well.
Shimizu Toun’s social circle consisted of the best Korean calligraphic artists such as Ahn Joongshik(安中植), Cho Suk jin(趙錫晉), Kim Eng won(金應元), Lee Do yung(李道榮), Kim Kyu jin(金圭鎭) and Ahn Jong won(安鍾元). Unlike other Japanese artists in Korea, Toun socialized with Korean artists and practiced art together. Korean and Japanese artists, once considered impossible to get along with each other, started to open exhibitions together, celebrate each other on holidays, and participate in the parents’s 60th birthday of each other’s parents, thanks to the common link-Toun. This companionship between Korean and Japanese artists continued to Toun’s pupils as well.
Perhaps the companionship between Korean and Japanese artists should be attributed to Toun’s personal effort and nature rather than to the flow of history. In the study of Korean Modern Art History, the relationship between Korean and Japanese art has always been a point of controversy. However, it is also true that we have overlooked the role of Japanese artists in Korea and who they are. Japanese artists in Korea are in a very ambiguous position, and we cannot deny the fact that they are foreign matter in the study of Art History. Nonetheless, Japanese artists in Korea have undoubtedly played a significant role in Modern Korean Art.