Art & Cultural Activities

In 2015, Mark moved to a Korean traditional wooden house (hanok) in the Bukchon Hanok Village area in northern Seoul. The experience of living in a hanok proved to be quite transformational, and profoundly deepened Mark’s interest in Korean traditional architecture, culture, and art. His study of Korean traditional culture, antique furniture, pottery, traditional music, and ancient art also led Mark to become interested in Korean contemporary art as well. Mark has sought to promote awareness of Korean beauty and contemporary Korean art by conducting interviews with various prominent Korean artists, in a series called “Mark’s Art Space,” which appears monthly in LivingSense Magazine. As a public ambassador for Korean culture, Mark also gives many lectures on the topic “Korean Beauty: A Foreigner’s Perspective.” Mark supports Korean traditional and contemporary arts through philanthropy as well. He is a supporter of the National Museum of Korea as well as the Korea National Ballet. In recognition of Mark’s various efforts to protect and promote Korean culture and arts, Mark became the first foreigner to be named Honorary Head Guard of Gyeongbok Palace.

Season 1

  • Huh Myoung Wook

    We visited Korean lacquer artist Huh Myoung Wook, who uses lacquer to capture the passage of time. LivingSense 2016 December

  • Oh Sufan

    We visited Oh Sufan, one of Korea’s most prominent abstract artists. LivingSense 2017 January

  • Jinnie Seo

    We visited installation artist Jinnie Seo, whose installation works draw the viewer into a world of lines and curves. LivingSense 2017 February

  • Byung Yong Yang

    We visited artisan Byung Yong Yang, whose small wooden dining tables (soban) are renowned for their craftsmanship. LivingSense 2017 March

  • Ha Ji-hoon

    We visited furniture designer Ha Ji-hoon, whose pieces combine modern sensibility and a deep understanding of Korean tradition. LivingSense 2017 April

  • Bae Bien-U

    We visited photographer Bae Bien-U, renowned for his iconic photographs of Korean pine trees, nature, and Korean architecture. LivingSense 2017 May

  • Lee Jae Hyo

    We visited sculptural artist Lee Jae Hyo, who uses natural materials like wood and stones to create striking forms. LivingSense 2017 June

  • Koo Bohnchang

    We visited photographer Koo Bohnchang, renowned for his photographs of Korean white porcelain and other objects. LivingSense 2017 July

  • Lee Hun Chung

    We visited multi-artist and ceramicist Lee Hun Chung, whose ceramic works span across genres. LivingSense 2017 August

  • Park Seo-bo

    We visited renowned pioneer of Korean dansaekhwa (monochrome), Park Seo-bo. LivingSense 2017 September

  • Chun Kwang Young

    We visited Chun Kwang Young, whose works combine hundreds of small triangular bundles into beautiful forms. LivingSense 2017 October

  • Lee Bae

    We visited Lee Bae, whose striking works show the multifaceted beauty and energy of charcoal. LivingSense 2017 November

  • Ko Young Hoon

    We visited Korean painter Ko Young Hoon, whose hyperealist paintings delicately capture Korean ceramics and other objects. LivingSense 2017 December

  • Lim Ok-Sang

    We visited Lim Ok-Sang, who captures the issues of modern society using soil, ink, and other materials. LivingSense 2018 January

  • Kim Yik-yung

    We visited ceramic artist Kim Yik-yung, whose white porcelain pieces are imbued with a sense of vigor and rhythm. LivingSense 2018 February

  • Kim Tae-Ho

    We visited dansaekhwa artist Kim Tae-Ho, whose works captivate with their many layers of color and texture. LivingSense 2018 March

  • Lee Kang-So

    We visited renowned painter and sculptor Lee Kang-So. LivingSense 2018 April

  • Lee Lee Nam

    We visited digital artist Lee Lee Nam, celebrated for his dynamic video art which incorporates traditional Korean and Western painting. LivingSense 2018 May

  • Shin Gyung-kyun

    We visited ceramic artist Shin Gyung-kyun, whose traditional kiln and methods carry on generations of tradition. LivingSense 2018 June

Season 2

  • Kwangho Lee

    We visited Kwangho Lee, whose art furniture and sculptures show us common materials in a new light. LivingSense 2019 July

  • Choi Jeong Hwa

    We visited renowned sculptural and installation artist Choi Jeong Hwa, who turns stacks of ordinary items into precious art. LivingSense 2019 August

  • Ran Hwang

    We visited Ran Hwang, renowned for her works which use thousands of buttons to depict colorful flowers and palaces. LivingSense 2019 September

  • Ha Chong-Hyun

    We visited renowned dansaekhwa painter Ha Chong-Hyun, known for his method of applying paint through the reverse side of the canvas. LivingSense 2019 October

  • Seon-Ghi Bahk

    We visited Seon-Ghi Back, whose installations of hundreds of suspended crystals or charcoal sketch out profound forms. LivingSense 2019 December

  • Bong Tae Kim

    We visited pioneering Korean painter Bong Tae Kim, whose paintings are marked by a sense of depth and vivid colors. LivingSense 2020 January

  • Hyun Min Wang

    We visited designer and artist Hyun Min Wang, whose works bend strips of wood into undulating forms. LivingSense 2020 February

  • Sea Hyun Lee

    We visited Sea Hyun Lee, whose iconic landscapes in hues of red simultaneously portray utopia and dystopia. LivingSense 2020 March

  • Bahk Jong Sun

    We visited furniture designer Bahk Jong Sun - whose minimal and natural designs recently won new acclaim in the movie “Parasite.” LivingSense 2020 April

  • Tae Im Ha

    We visited Tae Im Ha, whose arcs of vibrant color fill the canvas with movement and energy. LivingSense 2020 May

  • Myoung Ho Lee

    We visited Myoung Ho Lee, known for his iconic works which straddle the line of photography and installation art. LivingSense 2020 June

  • Huh Myoung Wook (Part 2)

    Three years later, we revisited lacquer artist Huh Myoung Wook in his new studio and cafe. LivingSense 2020 July

  • Ik-Joong Kang

    We visited Ik-Joong Kang, who brings people together through his participatory installation works made up of hundreds of square tiles. LivingSense 2020 August

  • Park Seo-bo (Part 2)

    Three years later, we revisited Korean dansaekhwa master Park Seo-bo in his new foundation and studio. LivingSense 2020 September

  • Lee Jae Sam

    We visited Lee Jae Sam, whose charcoal drawing techniques are equally adept at creating striking portraits and immersive landscapes. LivingSense 2020 October

  • Taek Sang Kim

    We visited Taek Sang Kim, who mixes water and pigment to create ethereal layers of gradient and color. LivingSense 2020 December

  • Byung-Hun Min

    We visited Byung-Hun Min, a pioneer of Korean photography, in the historic house which he recently restored. LivingSense 2021 January

  • Kim Jong-Ku

    We visited Kim Jong-Ku, who uses iron filings to create massive works of landscape and calligraphy. LivingSense 2021 February

  • Minjung Kim

    We visited Minjung Kim, who turns burnt hanji paper into ethereal landscapes or intricate designs. LivingSense 2021 March

  • Yee Sookyung

    We visited Yee Sookyung, who turns ordinary, discarded, and broken objects into enchanting works of art. LivingSense 2021 April

  • Rala Choi

    We visited photographer Rala Choi, at the the opening of his most recent solo exhibit, “Feel Lost.” LivingSense 2021 May

  • Bohie Kim

    We visited painter Bohie Kim, whose works capture the lush green energy of Jeju island. LivingSense 2021 June

  • Lee Wal Chong

    We visited Lee Wal Chong, who colorfully depicts the energy and rhythms of Jeju island living. LivingSense 2021 July

  • Sungsic Moon

    We visited acclaimed young artist Sungsic Moon, who etches natural scenes into his canvas. LivingSense 2021 August

  • Shin Sang-ho

    We visited iconoclastic sculptural artist Shin Sang-ho, whose ceramic works draw from global traditions. LivingSense 2021 September

  • Lee Kun-Yong

    We visited renowned artist Lee Kun-Yong, whose body and natural gestures are the starting point for his performance-like paintings. LivingSense 2021 October

  • Hyunsik Kim

    We visited artist Hyunsik Kim, whose 2D translucent canvases bend light into colorful, seemingly infinite spaces. LivingSense 2021 November

  • Nam Tchun Mo

    We visited Nam Tchun Mo, whose almost architectural constructions emerge from the canvas, creating colorful works of line, light, and shadow. LivingSense 2021 December

  • Choi Byung Hoon

    We visited Choi Byung Hoon, Korean pioneer of art furniture, whose pieces seem to emerge from nature. LivingSense 2022 January

  • Shim Moon-Seop

    We visited Shim Moon-Seop, whose vast canvases reflect the infinite blue ripples of the sea - an ocean of the mind. LivingSense 2022 February

  • Oh Chae Hyun

    We visited sculptural artist Oh Chae Hyun, who chisels tigers and other massive figures into stone, standing the test of time. LivingSense 2022 March

  • Sun-Hyung Kim

    We visited prolific painter Sun-Hyung Kim, who uses an indigo palette to transform traditional Asia painting into a garden of blue. LivingSense 2022 April

  • Kim Keun-Tai

    We visited Kim Keun-Tai, who paints the unseen in shades of earth, sand and stone. LivingSense 2022 May