Portrait of Avidya exhibition to tour Seoul and Jeongseon

| NBNTV = Ju Hyeon-ung | Jeongseon Jeongamsa and the Haambaeksanya Dambapbeopseok association announced that the '2026 Jeongseon Jeongamsa Painting Exhibition - Portrait of Avidya' will tour Seoul and Jeongseon, Gangwon, from September 1 to October 5.

The first leg of the exhibition will be held at Bongeunsa Temple's Boudang Hall in Seoul from September 1 to 9. It will then move to the 4th floor of the Grand Hotel Main Tower at High1 Resort in Jeongseon from September 11 to 20, before concluding at the Arisaemteo Exhibition Hall in Jeongseon from September 22 to October 5.

Twelve contemporary Korean artists are participating in the exhibition, including Kim Byung-joo, Kim Changwan, Park Hee-seop, Seo Dong-wook, Song Myeong-jin, Won Seong-won, Yu Hwa-su, Lee Kang-uk, Jeong Dong-hyeon, Jeong Jong-mi, Cha Hyeon-uk, and Heo Dal-jae.

Moving beyond its previous focus on painting, this year's exhibition expands its scope to include sculpture, photography, and installation art. Through works by artists from diverse generations and disciplines, the showcase explores various ways of perceiving the self and the world and forming relationships.

Korean painting artists Heo Dal-jae and Jeong Jong-mi will participate, while Kim Byung-joo, Park Hee-seop, Seo Dong-wook, Song Myeong-jin, Won Seong-won, Yu Hwa-su, Lee Kang-uk, and Cha Hyeon-uk will present works that embody their unique formative languages through 2D, sculptural, and photographic media.

Kim Changwan, widely known for his music with the band San Ul Lim and his acting career, will also contribute paintings. Kim has been expanding the inspiration drawn from his music into the realm of visual arts.

Architect Jeong Dong-hyeon will present an installation piece that reinterprets the Sumano Pagoda of Jeongamsa Temple through an architectural lens. Rather than grouping works by a single style or genre, the exhibition is curated to focus on how each individual artist perceives and expresses their world.

The exhibition title, 'Avidya' (Mu-myeong), refers to the fundamental ignorance in Buddhism regarding the true nature of reality and truth. It is traditionally viewed as the root cause of defilements like greed and anger, which bind humans to suffering and the cycle of rebirth.

'Portrait of Avidya' does not interpret this concept merely as a darkness or deficiency to be eliminated. Instead, viewing the human ego as a fluid entity formed through changing relationships and experiences, the exhibition treats Avidya as an opportunity to encounter oneself and the world anew.

The exhibition also highlights the artistic process as a form of spiritual practice, where artists repeatedly engage with the world through various materials and media. The collection includes works that dissolve the boundaries of the self, reflect on the self through relationships with others, and explore existence within the natural order.

Ven. Cheon-ung, the abbot of Jeongamsa Temple, said, "We intend to face the state of Avidya—the instability we live in without being able to escape—exactly as it is. We hope this journey of encountering the invisible serves as a small lamp illuminating the inner self of every visitor."