Given the general lack of knowledge about the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK – North Korea) in the West, it is not at all surprising that there is an almost total lack of knowledge of the arts in that country. The relatively few visitors to North Korea may notice the architecture and the dramatic posters that mark the capital, and in recent years, the North Koreans have invited visitors to see what are called ‘Mass Games’, but which would be more accurately described as a cross between a mass rally and a gymnastic display. Not many visitors will see the art galleries or museums unless they make a special request. Even long term foreign residents rarely bother to go. Outside North Korea, it is hard to find examples of North Korean painting, ceramics or other art forms, although some of the posters are now marketed on the Internet. In the Republic of Korea (ROK – South Korea), art from the North was banned as propaganda until recently, and it is rarely on show even today.

The only known permanent display of North Korean art in the West is at the British Museum, and it is fitting that Jane Portal, the curator who started this collection, has now provided what she describes as ‘just a beginning’ in introducing this little-known field to a wider audience. She places North Korean art firmly in two contexts: the totalitarian tradition of grandiose monuments and buildings, and the intensely political nature of all activities in North Korea – it is not just art that is under control but all aspects of life. As she indicates, it is impossible to assess art in North Korea without an understanding of the historical background, from which the leadership derives its legitimacy, and the effort that goes into glorifying that leadership. Any monument has a link to Kim Il Sung, who ruled North Korea from the 1940s until his death in 1994, or to his son, Kim Jong Il, who succeeded to his father's role, if not his titles. Visitors will be told that one building has so many blocks, representing Kim Il Sung's life, or that another's height tells the same story. The reconstruction of historical monuments is not something connected with scholarly accuracy, but is to support the system. Painting, sculpture and music echo the same themes.