2019 Korean History and Cultural Seminar for Educators - Handbook 2019 NKS Handbook-0617 | Page 60

Paintings of Characters
(Munja-do)
Paintings of the Peonies (Moran- do)
•  Peony paintings were
among the most popular.
For its color and beauty,
the peony blossom was
regarded as a symbol of
wealth. Images were
found on folding screens
that were used to
decorate wedding halls,
rooms for the newly-wed,
and in the anbang, the
women’s quarters, of
yangban (educated/upper
class) families.
Ms. Kee Soon Sung is the president of the Korean Folk Paintings Association of America. She is an
award-winning artist who is recognized for her work in both the US and in South Korea. She has had
countless exhibitions, and some of the more recent ones took place at the Whittier Gallery, Korean
Cultural Center in Los Angeles, and at the Park View Gallery. She has also participated as a judge of
world-wide Minhwa & Art Contests in US and Korea. Her artworks are displayed at various government
agencies such as the LA Korean Consulate and the Korean Education Center in LA. She has also
previously worked with UC Irvine, LA High School, and various middle and high schools throughout
the US in activities that promote and provide education about the Korean folk paintings.

58