Kim Jeonghui

SOUTH KOREA, South Chungcheong; Joseon dynasty

Kim Jeonghui was also known as Wonchun or Chusa. He was a calligrapher, painter, seal engraver, and poet. Shortly after he attained a position as an official, Kim traveled to Beijing where he associated with famous scholars such as Weng Fanggang, and Ruan Yuan. After returning to Korea, he assumed a variety of posts in the government, but due to the chaotic situation at that time, he was exiled to various island locations for 13 years.
Perhaps due to his affiliation with the thinkers of the Silhak school, Kim enjoyed great success in areas of Han poetry, seal engraving, and calligraphy. He was the most well-known calligrapher of the Silhak school. Kim established the Chusa style, which featured calligraphy that expressed harmony among unsymmetrical characters. The writing is powerful and characters vigorous.
Surviving calligraphic works by Kim include Characters - Tea Meditation and Seven-Character Couplet, both of which are currently kept at the Gansong Art Museum in Seoul, and the horizontal inscribed board of Woodblock Hall at Bongeunsa Temple in Seoul.