White Jade Phoenix incense burner by Ju-Won Jang

October 18, 2001 - Hillwood Art Museum on the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University is proud to present Tradition in the Land of the Morning Calm: Treasures from the Kyonggi University Collection. The exhibition will consist of more than 20 pieces of jade sculpture by Ju-Won Jang, including a white jade incense burner (weighing more than 20 pounds) in the shape of Mt. Bonglac.

The art of hard stone carving, especially jade, has ancient Asian roots and remains a traditional Korean art form. Ju-Won Jang is revered as a National Treasure in Korea for his preservation of traditional styles and themes in his contemporary jade carvings.

The Hillwood exhibition will also feature nearly 20 extraordinary hand-painted screens never before seen in the United States. Screen painting is also a traditional art form in Korea. The screens included in this exhibition are from the Choson Dynasty, which began in 1392 and ended in 1910. The Choson Dynasty is commonly regarded as the last 'traditional' Korean kingdom before the onslaught of modern culture in the 'land of the morning calm.'

Nephrite Cabbage jade carving by Ju-Won Jang

The screens present traditional myths and motifs from Korean folklore. An exquisite folding screen titled Mt. Kumkang is one of the largest in the exhibition, at over 17 feet long. The theme of mountains and their endurance appears in, a naturalistic view of Diamond Mountain - a landform that has 12,000 peaks and great importance in both Korean and Chinese culture. In Moon, Plum Flowers and Crane, the moon symbolizes a joyous life and the plum flower represents longevity. Marital bliss and prosperity are depicted in the screen titled A Pair of Parrots and Peony.

The similarities in style and subject between the ancient Korean screen paintings and Jang's contemporary jade carvings demonstrate his adherence to traditional representation - a valuable commodity in Korean art.

Hillwood Art Museum, located on the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University in Brookville, NY, presents a year-round schedule of temporary exhibitions as well as an impressive and eclectic Permanent Collection consisting of objects dating from the earliest of man's endeavors in the creation of art to contemporary art. The 4500 square foot space boasts a beautiful curved gallery which Phyllis Braff of The New York Times has called "one of the Island's most dramatic showcases for art" The Hillwood Art Museum was established in 1988 following the use of the space as an art gallery since 1972.

The South Pole's Old Man hand-painted screen from the Choson Dynasty

The artwork included in the Tradition in the Land of the Morning Calm exhibition is on loan from Kyonggi University in Seoul, Korea. In December 2000, the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University entered into a formal relationship with the distinguished university in an effort to promote intercultural education. The two universities now offer a joint degree program through which students study at both the C.W. Post and Kyonggi campuses, and graduate with a degree from Long Island University in the major of their choice with a concentration in Korean Studies.

The opening reception on October 23 will be attended by Ju-Won Jang as well as 5 additional Korean national Treasures, artists who are revered for their preservation of Korean culture, and who have individual pieces included in the Hillwood exhibition . In addition, several dignitaries from Kyonggi University will be in attendance.

For more information about Hillwood Art Museum or events, please visit the museum's web site at www.liu.edu/museum or phone (516) 299-4073. Hours of operation for Fall 2001 are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; Tuesday, 9:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.