Dongyanghwa (Eastern-style painting)

Dongyanghwa is a Korean term shaped in contrast to Western painting. It is a general name for pictures made with traditional East Asian materials and techniques, such as paper or silk, brush, ink, and colour. In 1922 the painting section of the Joseon Art Exhibition, organised by the Japanese colonial Government-General, was divided into Western and Eastern painting, and the name became official. From around 1970, because the name had been attached from outside during the colonial period, some began arguing for hangukhwa (Korean painting) instead. The three painters in Hearts Inclined to Ink all work with landscape: two climb the mountains themselves and watch the seasons change before painting, and the third builds landscapes out of written characters.

Before naming the subject, look for where ink gathers, where colour enters, and how the brush leaves its edge.