Singing of the Abode of the Wind – Artist Kim Kyung-joo

In this installment of People in the Arts, we meet artist Kim Kyung-joo, who founded the Gwangju-Jeonnam Art Community and was a participant in the minjung art movement with woodblock prints and ink paintings. What follows is the interview that I recently had with Mr. Kim.

Chronicling the Pain of the Times: Artist Heo Dal-yong

Heo Dal-yong was born into the Heo family, which was continuing the line of the painting referred to as namhwa (남화). Namhwa is a style of painting that originated in China. It is also called “literary painting” because this style was mainly painted by Confucian scholars rather than by professional artists.

The 14th Gwangju Biennale and the Transformation of Anne Duk Hee Jordan

This year, from April 7 to July 9, the Gwangju Biennale will host its 14th Biennale, showcasing works from 79 artists, half of which are new works that have never been exhibited previously. Of the 79 artists, the Gwangju News is fortunate to have reached Anne Duk Hee Jordan, an established artist based in Berlin who will debut a suite of interactive robots at the Biennale.

Stepping into the Paintings of Artist Lim Nam-jin

Lim Nam-jin is a painter who gives us subject matter to ponder, and her paintings give us a space to step into.

Painter of “The Wind Flows Among the People”: Yoon Nam-woong

The place where I first met Yoon Nam-woong’s artworks was at Daein Market in downtown Gwangju. When the old market, where I used to go grocery shopping with my mom as a child, was gradually emptying out because of the newly emerging shopping malls, young artists came into the vacated shopping areas and created their own work spaces. One by one, small, unique galleries were created like nothing I had seen before, and people began to visit Daein Market to see their artworks. I remember that “The Arts Market” was opened every weekend and that my family also went to Daein Market to enjoy the various artistic works as well as the fresh foods.

Creating a Goddess Myth in a New Era: Artist Park Sobin

“Art is said to be spoken in various languages, depending on the viewer, but my self-portraits are my view of my art in my 20s, when I was intensely concerned about human instincts and nature. They expressed the power of love to blossom new lives in the midst of the fear of people who could not be free from the pain of those times. The theme of my works was then about the myth of love that provides the energy that humans have been pursuing.”

Painter of the “Halo Effect”: Oh Soo-kyung

“Some people have wondered if I’m trying to save on paints. Actually, no. I use a lot. When I color, I don’t color an object all at once. Because of the nature of oil paints, it takes some time to dry. I apply one color and leave it on the canvas to soak in. If I wipe it off before the paint dries, the canvas is lightly colored. Then I add another color, brushing it on the canvas horizontally and vertically like weaving cloth.”

Haru K’s Delicious Landscape

Every year, the Ha Jung-woong Art Museum invites several competent artists and supports their exhibitions. A few years ago, when I visited the museum, I encountered some very interesting artworks. They were traditional Korean landscape paintings combined with unique scenes in them. For instance, a waterfall from the sky was expressed as long noodles from chopsticks. The various foods and snacks in the landscape paintings gave me a fun shock, and they have remained in my memory for a long time. Luckily, I have had the opportunity to have an interview with Haru K, the artist of Delicious Landscape, for this issue of the Gwangju News. You too will be able to meet Haru K through the following interview.