After undergoing penetrating historical events such as the colonial period and Korean War, both Koreas struggled to solidify their national identity. Both South and North Korea attempts to create their own form of arts in order to consolidate their cultural identity. For instance, artists from both states attempted to renovate traditional art forms such as ink paintings and calligraphy which they considered as conservative and out of dates during post-war period. (Kim Yong-Na, 61; Portal, 149,150-151) Chosonhwa was developed in North Korea as a revival of traditional ink paintings within the framework of Juche art. During the 60s, art theory in North Korea developed independently under the philosophy of Juche with the aim to consolidate the state’s national identity. The idea of Juche art is “art which is national in form and socialist in content” stated by Kim Il Sung (6 May 1975) which is still regarded as the absolute guiding for arts in the North. Chosonhwa is an example of a form of Juche art. Colours were increasingly used in Chosonhwa which has been traditionally monochrome. (Portal, 151) Pigments were first imported from the Soviet but later replaced by ‘home-grown Korean pigments’ to create the thorough ‘national form’. Socialist contents are conveyed by Chosonhwas such as Evening Glow at Kangsun Steelworks (Fig 24). This painting depicts the silhouette of operating factories against the red glowing sky. It has a political content that the glowing sky was to represent the presence of Socialism, while the factories pay tribute to the workers who contributed in the development of the state. (Portal, 54, 151) This painting demonstrates the idea of Juche art which convey a Socialist content created in national form.

Simultaneously, the discourse of nationalism also aroused in South Korea in the 1960s. Several significant art movements sprung up with an attempt to combine tradition with modernity. First of all, the Monochrome Art Movement tried to work with tradition in tandem with international trends. This movement is often seen as the Korean interpretation of Minimalism which was characterized by its extremely controlled expression. They usually work with monochrome colour of being white or neutral which represents the native hues of Korea. (Kim Yong-Na, 50) Works of this movement also abandon forms and emphasize the blending with nature which they saw as based on the Eastern tradition of Taoism. (Kim Yong-Na, 48-49) The use of monochrome allows them to create a mental state of nothingness and thus the unity with nature. Moreover, the Minjung Art Movement flourished in the 1980s was a rejection toward Western forms and seeks for native tradition. They were mainly inspired by folk arts and Buddhist arts with the aim to create art that the masses can easily understand. They were also a movement against American trend and praise the farm culture as utopia. For instance, All Things under Heaven borrowed ritual paintings of Buddhist tradition such as Nectar Ritual to satirize the society (Fig 25). Famers and common people are seen on the upper rung as in heaven, workers in the middle, and consumer cultures are placed on the lower rung of hell. (Kim Yong-Na, 54-55) Both movements demonstrate South Korean artists’ attempt in solidifying their own national identity through various methods. Whether combining the tradition with modernity or borrowing the tradition for discussions over contemporary social issues. However the representation of national identity remains vague and controversial.