Korea Central Daily (US) | Korean Painter Kim Hyun Jung Named to Forbes 30 Under 30
Forbes named Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung as the representative in fine art on its "30 Under 30 Asia 2017" list. Her body of work — which challenges convention, such as depicting women in hanbok riding motorcycles — and her solo exhibition at New York's Metropolitan Museum were cited as reasons for her selection. Kim Hyun Jung previously held her first New York solo exhibition in 2016 at an event hosted by the Korean American Historical Society Museum Foundation.
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Artist Kim Hyun Jung (27, pictured), who has drawn attention in the Korean art scene for her fresh ideas and subject matter, has been named to Forbes' "30 Under 30 Asia 2017," recognizing influential people under 30 in Asia.
The award, given annually by the business media outlet Forbes, honors 30 young people by region each year for remarkable achievements across 10 fields including economics, science, industry, and the arts; Kim was the sole honoree in fine art.
In the entertainment category, Korean honorees included singers Park Jae-beom and Jessica, while in sports, professional snowboarder Chloe Kim was among those named.
Last year's list included Big Bang's G-Dragon and former national figure skater Kim Yuna.
Forbes explained its reasons for selecting her, citing "the way Kim broke from the conventional framework representing Oriental painting and challenged convention through her work — such as depicting a woman in hanbok riding a McDonald's delivery motorcycle — along with her solo exhibition last year at New York's Metropolitan Museum, and her status as one of the young artists at Korea's National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art."
Kim held her first solo exhibition in New York in January of last year at "This Is Our Future," a New York Korean Night event hosted by the Korean American Historical Society Museum Foundation at the Metropolitan Museum in Manhattan, and is drawing attention as a rising star in the Korean art scene for attempting various transformations while grounded in the theory and technique of traditional Oriental painting.
Reporter Hwang Ju-young