This paper reviews Jang Uk-jin's life and his works, and then examines the childlike characteristics in his works. Even in the harsh circumstances such as the Japanese colonial period and the Korean War, which were the most tragic times of Korea, he had the passion for creation and overcame all the difficulties with his paintings. His painting was an escape from the hardship in the real world. With the longing for nature rather than secular world, he usually produced his works in quiet countryside such as Deokso, Suanbo, and Singal.
The early period from 1937 to 1962 was the stage that foreshadowed the tendency of Jang Uk-jin's works. His works during this period can be characterized by ironic expression of the days, emphasis on the local subjects, and simplification of the form.
The middle period from 1963 to 1975 was the stage that he conducted abstract experiments with unclear forms and attempted various formative expressions. It was also the time when his freehand brush strokes of ink and graffiti elements appeared with the attempts of magic paintings and printmaking.
The period from 1975 to 1990 was the last stage of Jang Uk-jin's life. During this period, many elements of landscape painting appeared in his paintings, and the oil painting of ink-and-wash characteristics reached at its peak. Meanwhile, in the period from 1937 to 1985 the characteristics of his work were synthesized. Expressions of childlike paintings also appeared, while primary colors, intermediate colors, and low saturation were used evenly in his paintings.
The figurative similarity found with the naked eye is a criterion for deriving the childlike elements from Jang Uk-jin's works. Although there are many figurative similarities in composition and spatial expressions, it can be seen that the intention of the figurative expression is different even if the appearances are similar.
In his works, Jang Uk-jin made a modernistic change in technique by thinking of local and natural materials in the childlike expressions and simplifying them in the viewpoint of himself. As a formal characteristic of Jang Uk-jin's pictures, the size of the canvas was pretty small. For the subjects, he chose those that can evoke nostalgia in the childlike world and are composed in a simplified state. His simplified and humorous expressions might have been originated from his pure and childlike heart. In addition, they came out of his simplicity and innocence by throwing away all the worldly thoughts. He wanted to show the unspoiled world of children's hearts.
Although there were clear similarities between Jang Uk-jin's paintings and children's paintings, they were fundamentally different. For Jang Uk-jin, the element of childlike expression was only a subsidiary part rather than itself. Jang Uk-jin intended to borrow pure childlike thinking and creative methods into his works. This was possible because Jang Uk-jin found a potential artistic value in the clumsy expressions of children. This study shows how important the research on the method of child-centered education is, as well as the characteristics of Jang Uk-jin's works and their relation to children's paintings. Also, it will be helpful in rediscovering and realizing the value of children's paintings.