Having dedicated half a century to holding the brush and capturing the profound depths of calligraphy and Eastern classics on canvas, "Mukyeon" Roh Sun-sook (71) is opening a new chapter for Ansan's art scene as the newly inaugurated 11th President of the Ansan Fine Arts Association.

President Roh officially began her term following her inauguration ceremony on April 13. "It is both an honor and a heavy responsibility to assume the presidency in Ansan, a city where the artistic spirit of Danwon Kim Hong-do breathes," Roh stated. "Moving forward, I will improve the creative environments for local artists and implement diverse cultural programs so that citizens can enjoy dignified art in their daily lives."

Stepping into the world of calligraphy at the age of 20, President Roh has walked a singular path for over 50 years and serves as an invitational artist for the Korean Fine Arts Association. After graduating from the Wonkwang University Graduate School of Oriental Studies, she studied Korean and Eastern classics at the Academy of Korean Studies, the Institute for the Translation of Korean Classics, and the National Institute of Korean History. Based on her deep understanding of classics, she has been widely praised for embodying "munjahyang" (the fragrance of characters and literature) within her calligraphic works.

President Roh has also taken the lead in local community educational activities. She has lectured on the Analects and Myeongsim Bogam (Precious Mirror for Enlightening the Mind) at the Ansan Seongho Memorial Hall and the Ansan Lifelong Learning Center, and currently runs the Mukyeonjae Classical Research Institute in front of Ansan City Hall.

Notably, she recently served as a vanguard for K-culture in spreading the excellence of Korean calligraphy globally. From August 31 to December 15, 2021, she held a solo calligraphy exhibition at the communication center in the Steglitz-Zehlendorf district of Berlin, Germany.

The exhibition was held to introduce Korean traditional music and Hangeul calligraphy in alignment with the Berlin district office's "Diversity of Life" project. Stephanie Müller, director of the local cultural center, expressed gratitude for the successful exhibition introducing Korean culture, prompting the district office to designate the day as "Korea Day." Roh received an enthusiastic response by hosting an event where she wrote local students' and citizens' names in Hangeul on traditional fans.

The exhibition drew significant attention, being featured on the Berlin city hall website and local media outlet Berliner Woche. Capitalizing on this local reception, her representative work, the Preface of Hunminjeongeum, was exhibited as a traveling display at the Korean Cultural Center in Germany on October 9 of the same year to commemorate the 575th Hangeul Day.

Having established a solid reputation as a calligrapher, her bid for the presidency of the Ansan Fine Arts Association drew intense interest from the local cultural and artistic community. Having won the position through a competitive election rather than an appointment, her responsibilities are all the greater.

Regarding her future plans, Roh emphasized, "Building upon the achievements established by the previous executive board, the Ansan Fine Arts Association must secure transparency and fairness to become a harmonious organization." She added, "Based on our accumulated artistic depth, I will do my utmost to breathe new vitality into the art ecosystem of Ansan, the city of Danwon."

Meanwhile, the Ansan Fine Arts Association will host the 8th Ansan International Art Show at the Hwarang Exhibition Hall of the Ansan Arts Center from the 13th to the 18th. The opening ceremony is scheduled for 5:00 PM on the 13th.

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