Monthly Exhibition Guide | Artist Kim Hyun Jung’s ‘Naesoong Story,’ Art That Breathes in Everyday Life

Artist Kim Hyun Jung, who is breaking down the boundaries of contemporary Korean painting and drawing art into the public sphere, is drawing attention as a leading figure practicing ‘art within everyday life.’ She communicates with 300,000 followers on social media, having secured both popular appeal and artistic merit through fresh work that crosses the boundary between Korean painting and contemporary art.

Her educational value has also been recognized: from 2009 to 2025, a total of 18 of her works have been featured in elementary, middle and high school art textbooks. She also wields influence in the online content market, having ranked 7th in KakaoTalk emoticon popularity. Kim Hyun Jung realizes an art that closely engages with the public, moving fluidly between painting, media and brand collaboration. She currently serves as a publicity ambassador for the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and is the only figure from the art world to be named to the world-renowned economic magazine Forbes’ ‘30 under 30.’

A 21st-Century Genre Painting Told Through ‘Naesoong Story’

Kim Hyun Jung’s signature series ‘Naesoong Story’ playfully unpacks the lives and emotions of contemporary people, grounded in the traditional Korean subject matter of hanbok and ink-wash painting technique. The figures in her work wear hanbok while playing billiards or riding horseback with a bag in hand — familiar yet unfamiliar settings that add wit and satire. This series shows the essence of a ‘fusion’ that breaks down the boundary between tradition and the contemporary, East and West. It has been exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Korean Cultural Center in Berlin, Germany, offering overseas audiences a fresh visual pleasure as well.

In particular, works such as Naesoong: I’ll Come Running and Achha (我差) humorously express the hypocrisy of contemporary people and the momentary cracks in their emotions, satirically revealing the psychology and sentiment of today’s city dwellers. Kim Hyun Jung says, “Life is a series of ‘oops’ moments,” lightheartedly depicting the space between the small hypocrisies of everyday life and sincerity.

Reinterpreting Traditional Technique for the Contemporary Moment

Her working method involves a meticulous process of planning and coordination. It proceeds through a total of six stages: conception and sketching, photographing the figure, sketching, coloring the silhouette, rendering the clothing in ink-wash, and finally, hanji collage work. In particular, the technique of coloring with ink-wash on hanji is difficult to correct, requiring intense concentration and a craftsman’s spirit. This use of traditional materials creates a texture unique to Kim Hyun Jung. Layered with contemporary interpretation and sensibility, it comes together as a work in which Eastern and Western elements are naturally fused. This collaborative approach has also been well received at overseas exhibitions, earning her praise for opening up new possibilities for Korean painting.

Brand Collaborations, Communicating with the Public

Kim Hyun Jung does not limit her work to art hung in a gallery. Her ‘Naesoong Story’ seeps into everyday life through a range of art collaborations with brands. Through partnerships with leading domestic companies such as Samsung, Shinsegae, LG Household & Health Care, Coca-Cola and Woori Card, she has presented work that crosses the boundary between advertising and art. In particular, unusual collaborations such as the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the film Alita, and Yeoyangkaeng (a traditional Korean confection) are regarded as representative success stories that use the appeal and storytelling power of art as a marketing tool, going beyond the limits of typical advertising imagery. Through these collaborations, the artist realizes “natural brand exposure and outstanding product-placement effect,” presenting a new point where art can meet industry. This is, in effect, the realization of ‘art that is consumed’ and ‘art that resonates.’

Participatory Exhibitions: From Viewing to Experience

Kim Hyun Jung’s exhibitions go beyond simple appreciation of works, expanding into experiential exhibitions where the audience becomes part of the work. They are accompanied by a variety of programs that communicate with the audience, including ‘Artist Talks’ where the artist personally explains her work and shares behind-the-scenes stories, coloring therapy, photo-zone experiences and photo events.

This is a device that transforms art from something merely ‘seen’ into something ‘felt and participated in’ together. Her exhibitions, which place great importance on breathing together with the audience, demonstrate that art can resonate with everyday emotion, presenting a new model for popular art.

When Art Breathes Within Everyday Life

Kim Hyun Jung’s practice stems from the philosophy that ‘art is not something special, but something that breathes within everyday life.’ Her work, which moves across social media, education, broadcasting and collaboration, is a living example of just how closely art can be connected to daily life.

She previously appeared as ‘Sister Daenggi’ on EBS’s <Haeyo and Haeyo>, an art-education program for infants and children, where she was in charge of both hosting and planning, and her solid storytelling ability is fully on display in her body of work as well.

Breaking down the boundaries of art, communicating with the public and speaking of Korean painting in a new language, Kim Hyun Jung’s ‘Naesoong Story’ is establishing itself not merely as a series, but as a 21st-century ‘genre painting’ and as the name of an art that breathes within everyday life.

_ Lee Mun-ja (Editor-in-Chief, Exhibition Guide)

Written by — Lee Mun-ja (Editor-in-Chief, Exhibition Guide)