Page 13 - 한영수 Han Youngsoo Seoul, Modern Times

Foreword

Fifteen years has already passed since photographer Han Youngsoo left this world. And for the last 15 years I have organ-
ized his photographs one by one, not as his daughter, but as an admirer of his work. Organizing the life of an artist is never
easy, even if done by a close family member, and is not something that can be completed in a short period of time. I was
able to see traces of his life in every negative and every photograph. Like entering a time machine to observe the photog-
rapher’s days past, it was an act as fascinating as watching classic movies.

Born the first son of a first son in a wealthy family, Han showed an aptitude for painting and drawing from a young age.
This caught the attention of his teacher, who made a special home visit to suggest private painting lessons. With an inclina-
tion for the arts, Han became interested in photography as a hobby, which grew to a deeper fascination as he joined the
Shinsunwhui, an early realism movement group. He got started in commercial photography by chance, as a friend who
worked in marketing at a department store recommended him to shoot the store’s catalogue. His photographs were well
received and he decided to establish his own studio. As Han’s fame in commercial photography grew, he began to bring
home top prizes from photo competitions both at home and abroad, and quickly become an influential name in the field.
His interest in landscape photography grew alongside his commercial prospects, however, and he worked on creative
projects throughout this time. Han soon became a representative figure in Korean photography, serving on the juries of
countless competitions in the 1990s and earning the city-awarded ‘Cultural Figure of the Year’ prize in 1999. In this way,
Han found his beginnings in realism before progressing onto commercial photography, then landscape, leaving behind a
collection of unique images that distinguished him from his peers even during his lifetime. All of this was the result of his
innate understanding of art and the determination acquired from hours of devouring photography books.

Many people helped me in the preparation of this photo collection. I would like to give special thanks to Young June Lee,
whose valued writings brought fresh analysis to the artist’s work. In addition, this book could not have been published
without the whole-hearted support of Pi Chungja, Han’s wife, who loved his photographs more than anything, even if her
life as his spouse was no simple feat.

Released to coincide with the 15th anniversary of Han’s death, this book is the first installation in Han Youngsoo: Complet-
ed Works, published by the Han Youngsoo Foundation. Through new publications, exhibitions, and other programming,
the foundation seeks to introduce the artist’s work to all those who love photography, in order to rediscover the late Han’s
varied perspectives and oeuvre.

Han Sunjung General Director of Han Youngsoo Foundation