A Korean Female Artist, the Pioneer Hae-Seok Rah
Abstract
A personal story is a powerful tool. It validates women’s ability to draw upon their tacit knowledge and intuition to explain experiences as well as answer questions that have personal meaning to them. This is a story of Hae-Seok Rah, the first Korean female artist of Western painting in the 1920s. She introduced Western painting to Korea during a time of upheaval and transition in modern Korean history. Through the fifty years of Hae-Seok’s life, she wrote numerous articles promoting a modern education and an equal opportunity for Korean women. Sadly, Hae-Seok’s story is one of resistance to societal oppression and prejudice against a talented, strong, and independent woman. It is also the story of her empowerment through her struggles as an artist, writer, and feminist ahead of her time.
