The North Korean Film Studio Posters

North Korean Film Studio Background

Pyongyang Film Studio, otherwise known as North Korean Film Studio, is being renovated. The posters which were dreamt up by North Korean artists as ‘imperialist advertising’ used to make the streets more authentic are being removed.

The North Korean Film Studio was established in 1947. It built permanent sets to shoot pro-revolutionary films that were very much against the Japanese colonization of the country and the US presence of South Korea. Different streets were created to represent colonial-era Korea, 1930’s Manchuria, South Korea, and imperial Japan. There was even a set depicting a generic European country, including a church and a number of villas.

North Korean Film Studio Poster Art

In 2003, we commissioned artwork of these original posters as a limited edition or hand-painted North Korean poster. For artist Han Jong Sil who is normally commissioned to paint Propaganda posters, this was an unusual project.

For the first time, we are selling the individual posters as a limited edition of 20 pieces only on 240 gsm white matt Hahnemühle paper using a state-of-the-art Epson giclée printer. Each print has a 2cm white framing border embossed with the Koryo Studio seal and edition numbered in pencil. The works are signed by the artist and are 120 euros each + postage.

Korean Film Studio Poster Art Background

Over the years, artists from the film studio were instructed to paint advertisements and hoardings to make the sets look realistic and to create a North Korean view of foreign street scenes.

You have to remember that these Korean artists would have had no direct experience of these places and would have drawn their inspiration from photographs. Their ‘capitalist’ style adverts promoted dog grooming to brothels and even included their interpretation of western-style film hoardings. The posters have a wonderful naivety, a ‘lost in translation’ feel to them. In North Korea advertising is not permitted so the artists were dealing with a medium that was truly alien to them.

Director of Koryo Studio, Nicholas Bonner, has been a regular visitor to the Film Studio since the 1990s and he always photographed the film posters as they were replaced or re-painted. In 2003 he commissioned artists from the Film Studio to recreate the advertising posters as individual pieces of art.

A Chinese investor has recently acquired the film set, so renovations are now underway and unfortunately, the original posters will most likely have been destroyed. Now the only full record of the posters is with Koryo Studio.

North Korean Film Studio Poster ArtWorks

MORE ON ‘OASIS’

MORE ON ‘LA MER BEAUTY SALON’

MORE ON ‘O.K GRAND SALON’

MORE ON ‘CAFE’

MORE ON ‘NYLON’

MORE ON ‘YAKGODYO’

MORE ON ‘LACTOGEN’

MORE ON ‘MOTEL DRINKS’

Watch Order No. 27

Limited edition of 20 giclee prints at 120 eur + shipping