Seo-Bo Park

We authenticate, certify, issue certificates of authenticity (COA), appraise the value and broker the sale of paintings and drawings by Seo-Bo PARK.

South Korean

Born: 1931, Jeolla Province, South Korea.

Probably died: 2023, Seoul, South Korea, aged 92.

Seo-Bo Park spent most of his life in South Korea, where he became a central figure in the modern Korean art scene. He also travelled and exhibited internationally.

Typical Subject Matter:

Seo-Bo Park is best known for his abstract works, particularly his iconic Obangsaek series, which integrates traditional Korean colours into modernist abstraction. His subject matter revolves around rhythm, texture, and movement, exploring materiality through abstract compositions. His work often focuses on themes of spirituality, the balance between light and dark, and the interplay between the material and the immaterial. Park’s art evokes the influence of Korean calligraphy, traditional ink painting, and Buddhist philosophy.

He also worked extensively as an abstract printmaker. His works often convey a meditative quality, emphasizing the relationship between the artist and the materials.

Typical Style:

Seo-Bo Park is renowned for his mastery of the dripping technique and his exploration of texture and surface. He made extensive use of repetition, gestural marks, and the accumulation of texture to create rhythm in his works. He is especially celebrated for his scraping technique, through which he layered paint and then removed parts to reveal earlier layers.

His works frequently combine soft, muted tones with richly textured, dynamic surfaces.

Typical Material and Media:

Seo-Bo Park primarily worked in oil on canvas, but used varied materials and media throughout his career. In addition to oil paint, Park worked with ink—especially in his early career—and often incorporated mixed media elements into his artworks.

In his Obangsaek series, he used traditional Korean colours—typically earthy and muted tones like red, blue, yellow, and white. He also integrated natural materials such as paper and fabric, sometimes creating sculptural components within his paintings. Park’s body of work represents a continuous dialogue between Western modernism and Korean traditions, blending diverse materials and techniques.

If you own a painting or a drawing by or attributed to Seo-Bo Park, we would like to learn about it. Please send us photos or contact us at [email protected]. You will generally receive a response within 24 hours.