Port Seascape 포구 해경

Attact On Japanese Instructor

I am introducing a famous story of Han Sang-Ik's attack on a Japanese instructor during the time of his study in Japan. The incident may seem an act of backlash against an individual, but it is highly regarded as an act of expression of the latent anti-Japanese spirit in view of the situation that Korea was colonised by Japan at the time.
Kim Heong-Soo who was a colleague of Han Sang-Ik from Tokyo National School of Fine Arts described the incident as follows.

The domestic situation in Japan was rapidly changing since Japan declared reckless war on the U.S.
The academic years at Tokyo National School of Fine Arts got shortened from five years to four and a half years. At school, students had to spend more time working in factories than studying, and even though it was an art school, it seemed like the person who was managing the school was not a professor but a military officer assigned. If the students missed any drill sessions, the warning notice would be given stating that they needed to supplement by attending other drills otherwise they would fail. 
However, the troublesome problem that the officers concerned the most was “How to make the long hair of art students to be shaved off”. The art students trying to trick the officers to avoid having a haircut were having their back to the wall, therefore their absences were increased accordingly. Then, one day, I and Lee Dal-Joo received a notice stating that we must supplement our absences on the drill sessions. We both had to attend the drill sessions of another grade twice to supplement our absences. The incident happened when we were attending a drill session for a year senior class that Han Sang-Ik was also attending.The Japanese instructor asked each students to take their hats off when they were called for attendance, and if any students who did not have their haircut, he asked them their reasons for it. The most plausible excuse for not having a haircut was “I am currently painting my self-portrait”. “When will painting the self-portrait be complete?”, “Within two weeks, sir”, “Ok, then you must have a haircut in two weeks.”,”Yes sir. I will do that.”. Then the instructor asked another student,”What about you? Why didn't you have your haircut?”,”I can't have a haircut because I have a loathsome scar on my head and I need to hide it with hair as it will disgust other people.” The student did have a big scar on his head, so he could be exempted. And the next turn was Han Sang-Ik.
The instructor asked him,” Han, why didn't you have your haircut yet?”, The instructor, Senior Colonel, Mitsuhashi was very well-known for discrimination. He particularly shouted at Han Sang-Ik with malicious facial expression. Han Sang-Ik replied, “I have a scar on my head too, that's why I couldn't have a haircut.” So the instructor urged him to reveal it, but his scar was very tiny. 
So the instructor, Mitsuhashi slapped Han Sang-Ik shouting “You idiot!”. Then Han Sang-Ik slapped the instructor back shouting “You are an instructor, why did you slap me for?”. As soon as the instructor got knocked down by Han Sang-Ik, many students started clapping. And the Captain, Toyota who was in another platoon was coming towards Han Sang-Ik with a sword shouting “You, son of a bitch!”
Suddenly, an odd thing happened. The students clapping got in the way of the captain Toyota with open arms so that Han Sang-Ik could escape.
The instructor, Senior Colonel, Mitsuhashi abnormally discriminated against Koreans. He usually called out any Korean students to rebuke for no particular reasons after checking attendance. One day,after finishing the attendance check he looked at the left side and shouted calling my name, “Kim, What are you doing ?Kim, Kim!”. I was at the far right bottom line. So I said loudly, “Kim is here!”, then everybody started laughing and he also laughed awkwardly.
Han Sang-Ik worked hard as a teacher at a primary school for 3 years after graduating the Hamheong-gobo (higher education) to save some money, and he went to Japan to study abroad with the saving money. He painted all day in his room, and his nickname was 'Ueno's beggar' because he only traveled between his school and his room wearing his ragged and only outfit with full of paints covered. He was loved by everyone around him for his bright facial expression and optimism despite of the poor situation he was in. 
His paintings were highly acclaimed for excellence when he won the special selection prize for propaganda in the late years of his life, and he was a great painter showing his genius talent with soft and transparent colour sense which reminded people of Bonnard's work. I vividly remember him looking very disappointed when he and I was at a farewell reception as I was about to move to the South after the Korean liberation, because he couldn't come with me due to care for his old parents.
He, of course, was expelled from school after the incident under a condition that he was allowed to return to school if the instructor was transferred. The instructor, Mitsuhashi insisted on transferring Han Sang-Ik to the military police at a faculty meeting, but the professors didn't agree with him.
--From the painter, Kim Heong-Soo's reminiscence


It would have been an unexpected shock to everyone when a slim-built, shabby-looking student from a country colonised by Japan disobeyed a Japanese officer during a drill session on Japanese soil, and specially in a situation of a war declared, and at that time, it would have been regarded as rebellion against the Japanese Empire.

Imagining how embarrassed the Japanese soldiers would be, the Korean students at the scene must have felt a great satisfaction. Even though this ethnic and humane man was in another side of this divided country, I can't help but admire him as a person from the same ethnic group. (Chosun was liberated from Japan in 1945, but it couldn't be a unified nation due to the trusteeship of the U.S. and the Soviet Union, and in 1950 there was the Korean war amongst the same ethnic people, and the nation was divided into the Republic of Korea in the South and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the North in 1953 and the division has been remained until now.)

Since the incident, Han Sang-Ik was chased by the Japanese authorities and stowed away to return to his homeland. Can you imagine how Han Sang-Ik would have felt when he had to hide in a boat to return home without being able to complete his studies after all the struggles he had to go through in order to achieve his artistic dream?

All Chosun people would have felt sorrow for loss of the nation, but they had to hide their true feeling because if anyone tried to oppose Japan he or she would have been punished severely regardless of seriousness of the matter. Han Sang-Ik who was known to be loved by everyone around him with his gentle and optimistic character would have been same. However, I think that his attack was the expression of the last dignity and presence of his soul remained, which was getting destroyed by the discrimination and contempt against the small and weak nation that lost their ownership.

I think he had great self-respect and honesty to his soul specially when it came to ethnic and artistic orientation, as he stood up against the discrimination by Japan despite he could have lost everything in consequence and he never gave up on painting what he wanted to paint in spite of the warnings from the art world and demotion.
I respect and admire Han Sang-Ik for keeping the high level of national and artistic pride rather than prosaic one.

[Port Seascape]

Port Seascape (66cm x 30cm)  Han Sang-ik  Oil on Canvas

The painting I am posting this time is an atmospheric painting, 'Port seascape', which has a feeling of subtle light and air.
I particularly chose this painting with a thought that he might have felt heavy like this painting at the port when he was about leave Japan to avoid the chase. This painting was auctioned off at an online art auction, and referring to a painting with a similar scene in the history of Chinese auction, its background appears to be a port in Wonsan. When the bid for this painting was very competitive I was nervous, but I didn't give up and continued bidding because I liked its size of 66x30, which was quite unusual, and its atmosphere of subtle light.

The painting has well-established atmosphere with the shaded mountain, dark clouds, the deep colour of rolling sea, and furthermore, weight of the stable composition that exceeds 2:1. The atmosphere in this painting is generally dark, but when you look at the bright colours of waves and bright clouds in the sky, you can feel positive feeling of the subdued light and vibration of the sunny days coming soon.

The straight lines of the masts depicted which seems swaying in the background of waves, blend well with depiction of the thin ropes hanging on the masts or lying on the ground.
The masts are depicted as if they are about to disconnected but still remain connected, and the way Han Sang-Ik depicted the masts is my favorite expression after the one he applied to depict the 'Simple tree'.

Unlike the boats at the coast avoiding the wind, there is a peaceful scene of a small village depicted at the far right of the painting. It's even more interesting to see this kind of charming and cute expression that you can find from small props as it is like a bonus for viewers. The houses that look like painted by little children are pretty cute and adorable.

일본 교관 폭행 사건

이번 글에는 한상익이 일본 유학시절에 일본 교관을 폭행한 유명한 일화가 있어 소개하려 합니다.

한 개인에 대한 반발로 보일 수도 있지만 일본이 우리나라를 강제로 식민화한 상황인 만큼 잠재되어있던 항일정신의 표출로 생각하기에 전혀 부족하지 않은 행동으로 평가되기도 합니다.

그 사건은 한상익의 동경미술학교 후배인 김흥수화백의 회고로 상세히 전해지고 있습니다

일본이 미국에 무모한 선전포고를 하고부터 일본국내정세는 급격히 달라지고 있었다. 동경미술학교의 학제가 5년에서 4년반으로 단축되었다. 학교에서는 공부보다 공장에 근로작업 나가는 시간이 더욱 많아졌고 미술학교임에도 불구하고 학교를 움직이는사람은 교수가아니라 배속장교인듯 한 인상을 주고있을 때였다. 학생들이 한번이라도 교련시간에불참하면 다른학년의 교련시간에 출석하여 보강(보강)을 받지 않으면 낙제시킨다는 위협장이 날아오곤 했다.

그러나 배속장교들의 최대골칫거리는「어떻게 하면 장발족인미교생들의머리를빡빡 깎게하느냐」는 것이었다. 머리를 깎으라는 성화에 이핑계 저핑계를 다하던 학생들은 점점 궁지에 몰리게 되었으며 따라서 교련시간에불참하는 학생이 늘어났던것이다. 그러던 어느날 나와 이달주에게도 보강하라는 통지서가 날아왔다. 우리 두사람은 다른학년의 교련시간에두번이나 보강으로 출석해야만했다. 그리하여 우리 두사람은 한학년 상급반인 한상익등의 교련시간에 참가하고있을때였다. 교관은 출석을 부르자 학생들의 모자를 벗으라하고 아직도 단발을 않고있는 학생들을 불러내어 한줄로 세우고는 한사람 한사람 머리를 깎지않은 이유를물어보기 시작하는것이었다.『네,저는 지금 자화상을그리고 있읍니다』이것은 가장그럴듯한 이유였다. 『언제끝나』『네,두주일은 더 걸릴것 같습니다』『그럼,두주일 후엔 머리를 깎아야해』『네,그렇게 하겠읍니다』『너는 뭐냐』『저는 머리에흉터가 있어 머리를 깎으면사람들에게 혐오감을 주기때문에 머리를 깎을수가 없읍니다』그학생의 머리에는 정말 큰 흉터가 있었다. 그리하여 그학생은 특별히 면제가된것이다. 그 다음다음 드디어 한상익의 차례가 되었다.

『한,너는 왜 아직 머리를깎지않고 있어』미쓰하시대좌는 민족차별이 심한 사람이었다. 그는 한상익에게는감정을 터뜨리며 악의에찬표정으로 물었다. 『네,저도흉터가 있어서 머리를 못 깎겠읍니다』하고 대답하자 보여보라고 다그치는것이었다.그러나 한상익이 보여준 흉터는 콩 한톨크기에 불과하였다.

미쓰하시가『고노 바까야로』(이 바보같은 녀석)하면서 한상익의 따귀를 올려쳤다. 한상익은 그순간『교관이란자가 사람을 왜때려』하며 반사적으로 그의 뺨을맞받아 친것이다. 교관이 쓰러지는것과 학생들의 박수 소리가 동시에 터졌다. 다른소대에있던 도요다(풍전)대위가 칼을빼들고 큰소리로『고노야로』(이자식)하며 이쪽으로 오고 있었다.

그순간 참으로 희한한일이벌어졌다. 교관이 쓰러지자일제히 박수갈채를보냈던 급우들이 이번에는 칼을빼들고돌격해오는 도요다대위를 팔을벌려 가로막고는 그틈에한상익을 도망시킨 것이다.

미쓰하시 대좌의 민족차별은 병적이었다. 교련시간이되어 출석을 부르고 나면 으례 한번은 한국학생의 이름을 불러 이유야 있든 없든꾸지람을 하곤 하였다. 하루는 그가 출석을 부르고 나서좌익쪽을보고「김,무엇하고있어,김김」하며 내이름을연발하는 것이 아닌가. 나는그때 우익 끝머리 뒷쪽에 있었다. 내가「김은여기있다」고 큰소리를 치자 한바탕 웃음판이 벌어졌으며 그도멋적은듯 웃어버린 그런 일도 있었다.

한상익은 함홍고보를 졸업한후 3년동안 국민학교에서교편을 잡으며 약간의 돈을모아 동경유학길을 떠난 열성파. 하루종일 방안에서 그림만 그리고는 물감투성이가된 남루한 단벌옷을 입고 학교와 하숙방을 왕래하여「우에노의 거지」라는 애칭(？)을 받고있었다. 그는 그렇게가난한 생활속에서도 언제나밝은표정을 지어보이는 낙천가었으며 그 누구에게서도사랑받는 존재였다.

그의 그림은 말년의 선전에서 특선을해 호평을 받은바 있거니와 보나르를 연상케하는 부드럽고 맑은색감의 천재적인 재질을 지닌 작가였다. 내가해방직후남하할때그는 나를 송별하는자리에서자기는 노부모가 있어 못간다며 못내 아쉬워하던 모습이 아직도 눈에 생생하다.

그는 그사건후 물론 학교에서 퇴학당했으나 그것은교관이 전근되면 복교시킨다는조건부였다. 교수회의에서미쓰하시는 한상익을 헌병대에 넘기겠다고 주장했으나교수들은 동의하지 않았었다..

--김흥수 화백 회고에서-

식민지 나라에서 온 체구도 작고 초라해 보이는 학생이 일본땅에서 일본장교한테, 그것도 선전포고가 이루어진 상황에서 교련시간에 항명 한다는 것은 모두에게 예상치 못한 큰 충격 이었을 것이며, 그 당시로는 일본제국에 반항한 것과 마찬가지로 해석되었을 것입니다. 

당황한 일본 군인들의 모습을 상상해 보건대 현장에 있었던 한국 유학생들은 마음속으로 통쾌함을 느낄 수 밖에 없었을 것입니다. 개인적으로 이렇게 민족적이고 인간적인 그를 비록 분단된 국가에 따로 속해 있지만 같은 민족의 한 사람으로서 좋아하지 않을 수 없습니다.

이후에 일본 당국으로부터 쫓기던 한상익은 밀항을 하여 고국에 돌아오게 됩니다. 힘들고 가난했던 상황에서도 예술적 꿈을 이루기 위해 갔던 유학을 제대로 마무리 하지도 못하고 경황없이 배에 숨어서 귀국해야 했던 한상익의 마음은 어떠했을까요? 

나라 잃은 설움은 모든 조선인들에게 마찬가지였겠지만 일본에 대한 반발은 사소한 것이어도 심각하게 처벌되었을 것이므로, 모두들 마음 속으로 감정을 삭일 수밖에 없었을 것입니다. 평소에 유순하고 낙천적이며 주변 누구나 좋아하는 인물로 알려져 있던 그도 별반 다르지 않았을 것입니다. 다만 그 행위의 순간은 약소국 국민에 대한 차별과 모멸감으로 죽어가던 자기 영혼의 마지막 남은 존재감의 표출이 아니었을까 하는 생각을 해봅니다.

모든 것을 잃을 수도 있음에도 불구하고 일본의 민족적 차별에 대항하고, 향후 활동기 때는 화단의 경고에도 불구하고 지방으로 좌천 될 만큼 자기 그림을 고집했던 것을 보면 그는 특히나 민족 그리고 예술적 지향에 관련해서 만큼은 자존심이 세고 자신의 영혼에 무척 솔직한 사람이었던 것 같습니다. 

세속적인 자존심보다 차원 높은 민족적 자존심과 예술적 자존심을 제대로 지키며 살아간 한상익이 존경스럽고 멋있습니다.

[포구 해경]

포구 해경 (66cm x 30cm)  한상익  캔버스에 유채

이번에 올리는 그림은 미묘한 빛과 공기가 느껴지는 분위기 있는 그림  ‘포구 해경’ 입니다.

추격을 피해 밀항으로 귀국하는 바다에서 한상익의 마음이 이처럼 무겁지 않았을까 하는 생각에 이 작품을 선택하였습니다. 이 그림은 온라인 미술품경매에서 낙찰 받은 작품으로 중국 경매이력에 비슷한 풍경의 그림을 참조해보면 배경이 원산에 있는 한 포구인 것으로 보입니다. 입찰시 경쟁이 길게 있어 긴장 했었지만, 66*30 특색 있는 사이즈에 미묘한 빛의 분위기가 좋아 보여 낙찰까지 갔었던 기억이 납니다.

그늘진 산, 어둡 어둡한 먹구름, 출렁이는 깊은 색깔의 바다, 거기다가 2:1을 넘어서는 안정적인 구도의 무게감과 함께 제대로 분위기를 잡고 있는 그림입니다. 전반적으로 어두운 분위기이지만 해변의 밝은 색 파도와 먼 하늘의 밝은 구름을 보면 은은한 빛의 좋은 느낌과 함께 곧 다가올 맑은 날의 기운이 느껴집니다. 

울렁이는 파도를 배경으로 흔들리듯 곧게 그려진 돛대의 선은 매달리고 땅에 널브러진 가느다란 밧줄들의 곡선 표현과 함께 잘 어우러져 보입니다. 물결 따라 흔들리며 끊어지듯 이어지는 이 돛대의 표현은 한상익의 ‘심플한 나무’ 다음으로 제가 좋아하는 표현입니다.

바람을 피하고 있는듯한 바다 쪽 배들의 모습과 다르게 오른쪽 끝에는 조그만 마을 한쪽이 평화롭게 그려져 있습니다. 그의 작은 소품에서나 볼 수 있는 아기자기한 표현을 덤으로 보는 듯 하여 더 재미가 있습니다. 어린 아이들이 그린 듯한 모양의 집들이 무척이나 귀엽습니다.