bnt News | Daegu Art Factory’s First 2026 Special Exhibition: Korean Painter Kim Hyun Jung’s ‘Korea Hip’
Daegu Art Factory will present 'KOREA HIP!' as its first special exhibition of 2026, from March 4 to April 19, featuring a total of eight artists including Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung. Known for her 'Naesoong Stories' series, Kim Hyun Jung uses the hanji-collage technique to present a world of work where tradition and modernity intersect.
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Daegu Art Factory's First 2026 Special Exhibition, Korean Painter Kim Hyun Jung's 'Korea Hip' (Source: Daegu Art Factory)
Daegu Art Factory, operated by the Culture and Arts Division of the Daegu Culture and Arts Foundation, presents 'KOREA HIP!' as the special exhibition opening the door to 2026.
Running from March 4 to April 19, this exhibition was planned to spotlight the globally noted 'K-trend' not merely as a consumer trend, but as a 'cultural and artistic flow' in which Korea's own traditional art and everyday culture are reborn with a contemporary sensibility.
At the center of this exhibition is Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung, well known for her 'Naesoong Stories' series. Kim wittily depicts the reverse charm shown by figures in hanbok in daily life, presenting a '21st-century genre painting' where sensibilities of tradition and modernity, East and West, intersect. In particular, her signature working method using the hanji-collage technique well demonstrates the contemporary extensibility of Korean subject matter.
Daegu Art Factory's First 2026 Special Exhibition, Korean Painter Kim Hyun Jung's 'Korea Hip' (Source: Kim Hyun Jung Art Center)
The exhibition features a total of eight artists, including Kim Hyun Jung, Kwak Gi-ppeum, Kim Seon-jae, Kim Eun-jin, Bae Mun-kyung, Jo Se-min, Jang Woo-seok, and Han Hyo-jin. Through diverse media including painting, installation, objects, and video, they will contemporarily reconstruct Korea's urban sensibility and daily life, richly unpacking the keyword 'Korea Hip.'
There will also be plenty for visitors to enjoy during the exhibition period. Fusion performances blending tradition and modernity, along with hands-on programs together with the participating artists, and other associated events will be run to offer citizens a fresh artistic experience.
Bang Seong-taek, Director of the Culture and Arts Division at Daegu Culture and Arts Foundation, said the exhibition was prepared to render Korea's traditional culture with a contemporary sensibility, offering new inspiration for citizens' daily lives, and expressed hope for a great deal of interest in the exhibition.
The exhibition is held in Exhibition Hall 2 on the 2nd floor of Daegu Art Factory, and admission is free. Details are available on the websites of Daegu Art Factory and Suchang Cheongchun Mansion.
Reporter Kim Yeon-su
bnt News Entertainment Team news tips star@bntnews.co.kr