E2024-G126

Chosun University: Symbol of Gwangju’s Mid-Century Art and Architecture

Narrative

Chosun University, first founded as a college in 1946, was not only a key venue of higher education, but also a cradle for Gwangju’s modern art and architecture movements in the mid-20th century. The university is home to several key mid-century school buildings, including the main building (1947-1954), the former Chosun University middle school building (1949), and the main building of the College of the Humanities (1957). Notably, the main building features an unusual design comprising 19 triangular roofs, although the building began with only the five central roofs and was later expanded.

The university was also home to an active artistic community, centered around the Department of Fine Arts. Among the department’s notable affiliates is Korean-America visual artist Po Kim (1917-1940), who served as a professor in the department from 1946-1955, before moving to the U.S. The university’s museum of art includes the Po Kim and Sylvia Wald Art Museum, which houses over 300 of Kim’s works. Other educators in the department include the artists Chun Kyung-ja (1924-2015) and O Ji-ho (1905-1982).

Story Map

• Architectural Evolution: From Traditional to Modern Gwangju
  • As Seen Through Landmarks: The Modernization of Education in the Late Japanese Colonial Period
  • As Seen Through Landmarks: The Modernization of Administration in the Late Japanese Colonial Period
  • As Seen Through Landmarks: The Growth of Catholicism in the Mid-Twentieth Century
  • As Seen Through Landmarks: The Boom for Higher Education in the 1950s
  • Chosun University: Symbol of Gwangju’s Mid-Century Art and Architecture
  • Traditional Homes with Foreign Influences: Yi Jang-u’s House
  • Traditional Homes with Foreign Influences: Kim Yong-hak’s House