The National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage Publishes Korean and English Reports on the Regional Characteristics of Gwaebul, Large-scale Buddhist Paintings

- English Version (1. Gyeongsang Province) and Korean Version (2. Jeolla Province) to Be Published and Distributed to Domestic and Overseas Institutions -

The National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage (Director-General: Kim Yeonsoo; hereafter, NRICH), an affiliate of the Cultural Heritage Administration of South Korea, has published the English version on gwaebul in Gyeongsang Province and the Korean version on gwaebul in Jeolla Province. These publications are part of the academic series The Beauty of Korean Gwaebul exploring the regional characteristics of gwaebul paintings designated as treasures and national treasures.

A gwaebul is a large-scale Buddhist hanging scroll hung outside of temple halls during outdoor Buddhist rituals. Gwaebul paintings elaborately depicting a scene of the Buddha preaching across a massive picture plane are a type of Buddhist painting rarely found in China or Japan. They are considered a form of cultural heritage that reflects the distinctiveness and artistry of Korean traditions.

The NRICH began its survey of Buddhist paintings in the mid-1970s. It conducted a comprehensive investigation of gwaebul paintings held at temples across the country from 1985 through 2001. It has been performing a detailed survey on large-scale Buddhist paintings since 2015 together with the Cultural Heritage Administration and Research Institute of Sungbo Cultural Heritage.

Since 2022, the NRICH has been conducting in-depth research on the visual features of Korean gwaebul paintings by region by applying art historical analysis to data accumulated by previous investigations. The Beauty of Korean Gwaebul 1: Gyeongsang Province (2022) in Korean was the first published result from this detailed research. The NRICH has also recently released an English edition of it and The Beauty of Korean Gwaebul 2: Jeolla Province in Korean.

The English version of The Beauty of Korean Gwaebul 1: Gyeongsang Province contains the findings from the investigations of twenty-six gwaebul paintings housed at twenty-four temples in the Gyeongsang region. The manuscript has been supplemented to make it more accessible to overseas readers or researchers who might be unfamiliar with gwaebul. Information about inscriptions, designs, and patterns was also added. This report was prepared according to a standard writing style widely used in English-speaking humanities scholarship. It is particularly significant as the first English-language research report on the subject of gwaebul.

The Korean version of The Beauty of Korean Gwaebul 2: Jeolla Province includes the results of a survey of fifteen gwaebul paintings and one preparatory drawing for a gwaebul held at fifteen temples across the Jeolla region. It examines the historic nature and visual features of gwaebul paintings produced in the region during the late Joseon period by analyzing the related monk-painters, iconography, and Buddhist ritual manuals in the area. High-resolution illustrations enable readers to appreciate the exquisite brushwork applied by skillful monk-painters such as Uigyeom and Bihyeon, actively practiced their art in Jeolla region, and the detailed images of early gwaebul paintings crucial to understanding the development of gwaebul.

These books will be distributed to major libraries, museums, and Korean cultural heritage research institutions in South Korea and overseas. They are also available in an e-book version the website of the NRICH’s National Heritage Knowledge Connection (https://portal.nrich.go.kr/). Moreover, the NRICH is providing high-resolution images of gwaebul through its Gwaebul Gallery (https://portal.nrich.go.kr:2024/kor/buddhaNdGallery.do) to allow closer viewing and promote a deeper understanding.

The NRICH is planning to continue its in-depth research and serial publications on gwaebul in an effort to support the international recognition of their value and expand the foundation for related research.