SAMSUNG LIFE BLOG L | Painting Korean Art Everyone Can Enjoy Without Prejudice!

Painting Korean Art Everyone Can Enjoy Without Prejudice! Korean Painter Kim Hyun Jung

[Life/Culture & Trend] 2014.09.19 16:49

Not the difficult, old-fashioned "Korean painting," but a Korean painting anyone can enjoy comfortably and with delight — that's "Naesoong Story" by painter Kim Hyun Jung!

Today, Samsung Life Blog L would like to introduce Kim Hyun Jung, a young creator with a fresh sensibility who has broken the stereotype that Korean painting is difficult. Shall we hear the story of Kim Hyun Jung, who translates everyday stories anyone can relate to into paintings with honesty and boldness? ^^

Hello~ I'm Kim Hyun Jung, a Korean painter working on the theme "Naesoong Story." I'm truly delighted to meet readers here through Samsung Life Blog L!^^

Q1. "Naesoong Story" has become hugely popular both online and offline. Was there a particular reason you chose "naesoong" (coyness) as your subject?

I think the word "naesoong" is really another way of saying "gaze." Around the time I was conceiving this work, I myself was someone extremely sensitive to others' "gaze." I noticed in people the gap between their inner self and outward appearance that arises because of others' gaze, and I put that into my work. Now I describe my work as a "confessional self-portrait," but ironically, at the time, I started with the thought, "Let me paint the person I dislike the most." I began by painting people who are one way in front of others and another behind their backs — people who wear elegant clothing while behaving in an inelegant way. But at some point, passing by a mirror and looking at myself, I found the exact same person as in my paintings. At that moment, I realized, "All of this is me, this is my own story," and gradually I began telling my own story.

Q2. I'm really curious about the process from conceiving a "naesoong" piece to its completion. Could you share any special methods or know-how unique to you?

I go through a lot of steps when painting a work. First, I start with conceiving the composition, then move on to photography. I take photos wearing tight-fitting tops and bottoms, then take another set of photos in hanbok. That's because my process involves first painting the nude woman, then completing the costume by collaging hanji, a traditional material, over it. This collage technique takes far longer than one might expect. When I first started working with hanji, I bought commercially available hanji, so it took relatively little time. But recently, as demand for hanji has dropped so much, it has become difficult to find hanji in the exact colors and textures I want, so I now dye the hanji myself in the amount I need. That's how each piece becomes a one-of-a-kind work made from one-of-a-kind hanji!

A "Naesoong Story" work made through this long process can only be truly appreciated — its process and its flavor — when seen in person. If there's anyone who has only seen and liked my work online, I really hope you'll make time, even if busy, to visit the exhibition in person and experience a different kind of charm than what you see in photos! ^^

Q3. Is there a particular reason you paint using Oriental painting technique?

About ten years ago, after working only with the Western art materials I was used to, my teacher showed me an Oriental painting model sketch for the first time. I fell completely in love with the transparent, beautiful technique unique to Oriental painting. I realized that traditional materials were more than capable of achieving beautiful expression. That's how I naturally came to start Korean painting. ^^

Of course, I don't believe the subject of "naesoong" has to be expressed only through Korean painting, so I've also expressed it through other methods like sculpture and media art. But the technique used in "Korean painting" is the material I love most and take the greatest pride in, so I could never fully let it go. I want to achieve, through my work, the idea that "the most Korean thing is the most global thing." ^^

Q4. What is the story behind your recent "2014 Naesoong Olympics"?

Working indoors all the time, I came to keenly feel the need for exercise. But I'm not as diligent in daily life as I am with my painting, so rather than going to a fitness center, I started using the neighborhood park instead. I really enjoyed exercising there and chatting with the neighborhood aunties. It suddenly occurred to me: "Isn't this kind of fun exercise, in its own way, a sport — and isn't it life itself? Let me capture this in a work!" That's how I came to plan the piece "2014 Naesoong Olympics."

The actual sports depicted in "2014 Naesoong Olympics" aren't real Olympic events. It's an "Olympics" made up of everyday exercise equipment easily seen in daily life, built around the thought that "just as things unfold intensely at the Olympics, our lives too are quite fierce," and "perhaps what we can enjoy in everyday life is the truest form of sport."

[※ The content corresponding to Q5 and Q6 was missing from the archived screenshot (blog backup) available locally, so the original text could not be recovered.]

Q7. What are your future plans, goals, and dreams as an artist?

First of all, through my creative practice, I came to want to do something I call "social drawing." It's a term I coined myself, combining "social" and "drawing" (^^;). As I've run my social media accounts, introducing my work with short descriptions, I found that many people left comments offering interpretations and ideas for subject matter that were even better than what I had originally thought of. So I began to want to communicate with many people going forward and create work that reflects the power of collective intelligence as much as possible. I also hope for a society where "the barrier to art is lowered." I see running social media as one step toward that dream.

Honestly, while my long-term dream is this clear, I haven't really thought through short-term goals or concrete plans. Just as I never imagined last year that I'd be where I am today, I have no way of knowing what I'll be doing next year. In a way, I think keeping every possibility open for whatever future comes is my greatest source of joy. ^^

Q8. A word for Samsung Life Blog L readers…

As someone who dreams of art that communicates, I'd like to leave readers of Samsung Life Blog L with a final request (?) of sorts. ^^ Music, even at a noraebang (karaoke room), has become an art form that everyone can enjoy and use to relieve stress, rather than being judged as "good" or "bad" singing — but with art, so many people still can't enjoy it comfortably, not just because of standards of "skilled" or "unskilled." I hope you'll come to enjoy art itself. And to enjoy it, I'd like to say: start by simply looking at a lot of it. There are actually many galleries around us that are open free of charge, so even without purchasing a piece or appreciating it deeply, please drop by once in a while — on a date, on an outing with your children — the way you'd stop by a café, and take an interest in the field of art. ^^

And please be sure to read my book, "Kim Hyun Jung's Naesoong," which contains my own stories and thoughts about my paintings. There are many stories in it that troubled teenagers and women in their twenties stepping out into society can relate to!

Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung — breaking the prejudice against difficult Oriental painting, beloved by many for her youthful sensibility, open-minded approach to communication, and distinctive technique and subject matter! With a personality as bold and forthright as her honest work, it's no wonder so many people are drawn to her. ^^ Readers of Samsung Life Blog L, why don't you fall completely for "Naesoong Story," a work full of distinctive Oriental painting technique and relatable stories! ♡

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artisthyunjung Blog: http://blog.naver.com/artistjunga