Park Seo-bo's English autobiography to be posthumously published

The Park Seo-bo Foundation announced on Wednesday that it would publish two books on the late artist: an autobiography, written by Park Seo-bo himself and edited by his son, and a graphic novel.

The English language covers of books ″In the Words of Park Seo-Bo,″ left, and ″Park Seo-bo″ set for release on Sept. 26 [LEE JIAN]

“Those who don’t change will perish, but so will those who do.”

This was artist Park Seo-bo's motto, a paradox that reflects both the tension and perseverance that defined his life and art. It also sets the tone for two new books announced by the Park Seo-bo Foundation on Wednesday: the late artist's autobiography and a graphic novel.

Both the English and Korean editions will be released worldwide on Friday under the Italian publisher Skira.

″Ecriture No. 130119″ (2013) [PARKSEOBO FOUNDATION]

“The autobiography came to be when I found my father’s manuscripts of his autobiography that he had been working on, and though they were unfinished, I thought it would be worthwhile and meaningful for the foundation to finish and publish them,” the foundation’s chairperson Park Seung-ho told reporters at the institution’s Mapo District office in western Seoul. Park is also the artist’s son.

"Ecriture No. 6-67" (1967), Park Seo-bo's first work in his extensive "Ecriture" series using pencils, is being displayed to reporters at the Park Seo-bo Foundation in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Sept. 24. [YONHAP]

“We did not set out to paint the portrait of a grand hero through this book. Rather, we wanted to convey Park Seo-bo simply, as he is not so different from any other father,” he added.

Born in 1931 in North Gyeongsang, Park Seo-bo is regarded as a pioneer of the Dansaekhwa (monochrome painting) movement in Korea. He is best known for his “Écriture” series, begun in the early 1960s, in which he inscribed lines and marks into wet paint through a repetitive and meditative process. His work has been exhibited at White Cube in New York, Galerie Perrotin in Paris, Tokyo Gallery and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Gwacheon, Korea. Major collections include the Tate Modern in London, Centre Pompidou in Paris, M+ in Hong Kong and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Park died in 2023 at the age of 91.

Titled “In the Words of Park Seo-Bo,” the autobiography spans eight chapters, written in the artist’s own voice and edited by Park Seung-ho. At 177 pages, including photographs, it recounts Park’s life until the early 1980s — from his childhood to the globalization of Korean contemporary art — and captures his philosophies. The book also features images of his works beyond the iconic monochromes, along with family photographs provided by the foundation.

Excerpts of the new graphic novel "Park Seo-bo" set for release in English and Korean on Sept. 26 [PARKSEOBO FOUNDATION]

The graphic novel "Park Seo-bo" depicts the artist more broadly, from his boyhood to his final years in 2023. He is portrayed as a devoted husband, a laborer who worked to provide for his three children and a teacher who, although eccentric, ultimately sought to share and guide others.

Its author is Cho Jin-ho, a graphic novel artist trained in biology and best known for his books on science.

“He has nothing to do with fine art at all, but that is precisely why his perspective was well-suited to capturing Park Seo-bo in his rawest form,” said the foundation’s director, Lee Yoo-jin. She explained that the project was an attempt to make Park’s life and work more accessible: “We wanted everyone to enjoy his story, with or without deep artistic knowledge. By presenting him through a more approachable medium, I hope it can broaden not only the understanding of Park Seo-bo himself but also of the Korean art scene, Korean artists and even the frameworks of perception held by Koreans at large.”

Artist Park Seo-bo's works are stored at the Park Seo-bo Foundation's building in Mapo District, western Seoul. [LEE JIAN]

The Park Seo-bo Foundation is a nonprofit organization, founded in 2019 with funding from the artist himself. It is dedicated to managing and preserving his works and legacy while also supporting emerging artists. The foundation is also preparing to open its first Park Seo-bo Museum next year in Yeonhui-dong, adjacent to the foundation’s headquarters, and another on Jeju Island, near the JW Marriott Jeju Resort and Spa.

For the chairperson, Park Seung-ho, the release of the two books carried personal weight. “It feels as if I’ve finished one major task as the head of the foundation,” he said.

“At first, I had no personal connection to my father’s work — he was simply a regular father to me, and I had no particular interest in him as an individual. But after he passed away and I took on the foundation, the process of learning about him became part of my work. Going through his files felt like piecing together the private life of someone I hadn’t really known. My father had usually organized things through his staff, but in the last three years of his life, as his health declined, he collected materials without being able to order them. Since I didn’t know the full context, sorting through those notes was like deciphering a code. I often asked myself, 'Am I interpreting this correctly?' Each time, I tried to think from his point of view. And in doing so, I found myself filled with a growing love and longing for him. Personally, it was a very meaningful process.”

For readers, Park Seo-bo's words may also provide a window into his enduring relevance. As the late artist writes in the opening chapter of his autobiography:

“In a few more days, I’ll be ninety years old. But I have to change. I can’t sit back and let myself fall. Especially not when those who you have walked together with since you were young are disappearing one by one. I’m still in the middle of ripening.”

Artist Park Seo-bo's works are stored at the Park Seo-bo Foundation's building in Mapo District, western Seoul. Park meticulously kept track of his works, including dates and materials used to make them. This particular painting is the back of his very last work, consisting of paint on newspapers. Park's note in Korean on the flip side of the canvas reads: "This newspaper was published on the birthday of my beloved wife, Youn Myeong-souk." [LEE JIAN]

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]