Oh! Creator | The Story of Korean Painter Kim Hyun Jung — A Profile in Keywords

The First Story of Korean Painter 'Kim Hyun Jung'

Seoul National University, Naesoong Girl, SNS, and Rumors!

Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung

Born in 1988. She attended Sun Hwa Arts Middle and High School, majored in Oriental Painting at Seoul National University, earned her master's degree in Oriental Painting from the same graduate school, and is currently pursuing her doctorate there as well. She has built her reputation through numerous exhibitions at home and abroad, including her 2014 solo exhibition 'Naesoong Olympics,' which drew the largest audience since Gana Art Center opened, and her 2013 exhibition 'Naesoong Story,' which became a topic of conversation when all 13 exhibited works sold out within two days. In January 2016 she held an invitational solo exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and was invited as the youngest artist to participate in an exhibition on the history of Korean painting at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. In 2017 she became the first Korean artist to be named to Forbes' '30 Under 30 Asia,' and continues to lead the popularization of Korean painting through active engagement with the public via social media and her blog.

Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung, known for her distinctive, relatable style, has drawn attention at a young age for her somewhat unconventional path. A few days after 'Oh! Creator' set its sights on Kim Hyun Jung as an interviewee and sent a request, a call came in from a man who introduced himself as a researcher at the 'Kim Hyun Jung Art Creative Center.' He meticulously checked the interview schedule, following up with texts and calls at every turn. After receiving dozens of pages of anticipated answers, the editor almost felt as though the interviewee were the one managing the interviewer. It seemed the secret to handling such a busy schedule lay in this kind of meticulous management.

Just as in the photos accompanying her other interviews, Kim Hyun Jung appeared in a lovely hanbok with a delicate face. Having just finished a photo shoot for a new work, she seemed briefly tired, but soon began deftly attending to her guests and setting up the interview with practiced ease. When talking about her work, she lit up with excitement. Before meeting her, one might expect someone haughty or aloof, but instead she lifted the mood with an easy "Oh, is that so, haha," striking poses for photos without missing a beat.

'Idol of Korean Painting,' '21st-Century Genre Painter' — Kim Hyun Jung has accumulated an unusually large number of epithets. We decided to first get to know her through the keywords that inevitably come up whenever she is discussed.

Kim Hyun Jung attended Sun Hwa Arts Middle School, Sun Hwa Arts High School, and majored in Oriental Painting at Seoul National University. She says she naturally came to drawing because she had been doing it since childhood. But wait — is Seoul National University really a place one gets into so "naturally"? Rumor has it she also works incredibly hard. Could this person be some kind of model student?

Q How did you get started with painting?

I attended a professional art studio from the age of eight, learning entrance-exam art skills like detailed rendering and plaster drawing. I remember the older students in high school calling me "booger" (a nickname for the smallest kid). I tried music and dance too, but art was always the most fun. Since I always wanted to be a painter from a young age, choosing an arts school felt natural. It might sound trivial, but the real turning point was a homework assignment in the second year of middle school to draw a cross-section of a melon with colored pencils — it was so much fun! I never disliked art after that. I think becoming a painter was my destiny.

Q You must have studied just as hard as you painted.

I'm the type who's good at following instructions. Back then, there was a saying that success in entrance-exam art was proportional to the number of sheets you'd drawn. Thanks to drawing for a long time and in great volume, my grades in art were always good, and I was a student who kept up well with the demanding curriculum of a specialized arts high school. I got into the university I wanted only after several attempts. I think that was probably the hardest I've ever studied.

Q So you're the type who works hard at everything?

I have an obsession, almost a stubbornness, about completeness. Even when resting, I can't just rest — I end up binding myself to something. Of course there are days I don't feel like working, or I'm sleepy and tired, but I keep creating things to do. I'm nosy and curious about everything, so I barely have a moment to myself. These days I'm holding back a bit for the sake of my health.

Q I heard you recently started a doctoral program as well.

I tend to start things earlier than others. I held my first invitational solo exhibition, small as it was, even before I graduated from my undergraduate program, and during my master's program I worked as a part-time high school instructor while also making art. Eventually I became too busy and realized I couldn't keep attending school, so I graduated. While preparing lecture materials, I realized that knowing something in your head and being able to explain it are truly different things. Wanting to talk about a range of subjects in an engaging way, I started studying from books and sought out experts. I wanted to approach it more professionally and systematically, so I pushed myself to begin. (Q: What would you like to research further going forward?) I want to know more about Oriental painting and materials science. For example, every color of paint fades and bleeds differently, so you have to calculate that before you even start working. The more I know, the more curious I get, and if I want to explain things to others in a way that's easy, fun, and deep, it's important that I understand it properly myself first.

'Naesoong' literally means "appearing gentle on the outside while being sly on the inside." The figure that appears in Kim Hyun Jung's 'Naesoong Series' is alone, female, and wears a see-through hanbok with high heels. It's an ordinary situation anyone might have experienced, but seen from the outside, it's an irony that isn't purely funny. The Naesoong Girl in the work, like all of us living our daily lives, wears no expression.

Q Who is the 'Naesoong Girl'?

Many people have probably worried, at some point, about their relationships with those around them or about how others see them. I was the same way. Trying to meet other people's expectations and gaze, there came a moment when it became hard to gauge my own true self. After much thought, I concluded that to live "my own life," I needed to pursue a state free from other people's gaze or conventional judgment. The woman in the work reveals her own affectation, but paradoxically, she is a woman trying to realize an autonomous life by recognizing and confessing her true self.

Q Was there a specific moment that led you to start drawing the Naesoong Girl?

I wanted to caricature the people who judged me carelessly out of prejudice, as if to say, "How dignified are you, really?!" It obviously wasn't meant as a self-portrait — I simply needed a model and happened to use myself without much thought. But as I kept painting, I began to think that prejudice and convention were instinctive, universal problems everyone shares. I realized I, too, lived with prejudice. From then on, I began reflecting my own thoughts, daily life, and experiences in my work.

Q It seems the Naesoong Girl's appearance, not just her situations, resembles the artist quite closely.

For realistic depiction, I reference the composition and posture of figures from photographs of people. I myself became the model in the photos, but since the figure I paint is overlaid with another persona, I never actually thought of that figure as being me. Then one early morning while working, I glanced in the mirror and realized the figure on the canvas looked exactly like me. That "unable to confidently reveal her true self, self-conscious and awkward" look — that was exactly what I looked like. It was a small, accidental experience, but it became an important turning point.

Q How did your work change after that?

Once I discovered this objectified version of myself in the painting, I was able to focus my previously unmoored gaze inward. Of course, I still can't clearly define myself. But I think that if I honestly and confidently reveal the version of myself that is bound by others' gaze, I will gradually become more confident in the face of that gaze. Through this self-confessional work, I am finding my true self.

As for why a painter would even bother with social media, it seems her personality — one that can't do anything halfheartedly — kicks in here too. She runs an official Naver blog and has 100,000 followers. She manages her official website, blog, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Naver Post, and Grafolio — photos, videos, text, and editing — at a near-professional level. But while quick updates might be a virtue of a power blogger, isn't filming and posting even her painting process a bit like revealing trade secrets? What is it about social media?

Q You communicate with as many as 100,000 followers through your work on social media.

Of course there's a promotional purpose, but SNS is also a huge help in sustaining a career as a painter. Becoming a painter meant doing what I love most, but I was also afraid that my life might end up feeling desolate and lonely. People have long reached out to me on SNS, and I'm genuinely grateful for every single comment. Writing about my work gives me a chance to organize and reflect on my thoughts, and exchanging opinions sometimes even inspires my next piece. I think SNS helps me stay sharp and gain confidence.

Q You've often said that art should be alive in everyday life. Can SNS activity be seen in the same context?

I think so. SNS is close to daily life not just for me but for many people. Some people worry about revealing work online or on mobile, since if you think of your process as trade know-how, it's natural to feel some resistance, and copyright issues are realistically always a concern. For me, painting has been a way to work through depression, and I've come this far thanks to the strength I've gained from connecting with so many people through SNS. I wanted to give back somehow, and since drawing is my greatest ability, I feel it's enough if even one person finds joy in seeing my work.

Q Your SNS activity seems to directly influence your work.

Painters often gather to give each other feedback on their work, or seek out critics. SNS has the advantage of letting you hear more direct opinions quickly, since you're not talking face-to-face. You can tell immediately just from the number of likes, hearts, and comments. That makes me even more grateful.

Q What do you think is the secret to your popularity?

In my process, I try to hold onto traditional Korean painting techniques while also searching for elements of contemporary art, because I think that combination suits the 'Naesoong Series.' I don't think it's simply about liking lowbrow humor. I think the positive reaction comes from the fact that people who once found Korean painting difficult now find it easy and enjoyable. The fact that the work is essentially the product of my effort to confess my true self and stand on my own has especially resonated with many people. Perhaps it's because, through the narrative of a real person, viewers discover a version of themselves in the work.

Q I'd guess your followers are mostly young people?

Many people assume that, but the age range is actually very wide. I do share a lot in common with people my own age — talk about getting your nails done, getting your hair styled when the time comes. A conversation that starts with a single painting can go on all night. There are also parents whose children study art, and further along, people with fond memories of hanbok. They tell me it's admirable how I portray hanbok not as something old-fashioned, but in a fun, engaging way.

As much as she's become a topic of conversation, there have also been plenty of critical eyes, and the intense interest in her unconventional path hasn't always come with kind words. Kim Hyun Jung, who started her activities at a relatively young age, has faced no small amount of baseless malicious comments, rumors, and harsh criticism alongside the interest and support of many. We gently brought up a few topics that seemed like they might be sensitive, given how different she turned out to be from the aloof image we expected.

Q Perhaps because of your extensive outside activities and social media presence, some view you negatively as an artist. It's also true that you get a lot of media exposure. What do you think about this?

There are certainly negative views, but I'm grateful that, perhaps because I keep steadily doing what I do without wavering, more and more people are cheering me on. I've agonized a lot over whether this path is the right one, and it's been difficult, but having people who support me is a great comfort. I believe that to overcome negative perceptions, an artist has to answer through their work, so I'm devoting myself to my art. My biggest concern and focus is always on "the next piece."

Q It must have been hard to reach that mindset.

Now I've become somewhat composed even in the face of negative views, but it took a lot of emotional wounds to get here. It's true that on days I hear bad reviews or criticism, I do lose energy. But I try to train my mind by thinking that the words directed at me are a rare experience that opens my eyes. Even harsh words come from interest and care, so I try to accept them with gratitude. Now, quite a few people even ask me to teach them how to do that kind of "marketing."

Planning | Design Press Editorial Team

Reporting and writing: Design Press Editor Moon Han-a

Photography: Kim Jan-deu (516 studio)

Materials provided by: Kim Hyun Jung Art Creative Center

Design Press selects one creator each week for the series 'Naver Design — Oh! Creator.'

Meet a variety of design stories from noteworthy contemporary designers and artists, every day at Naver Design :-D

Oh! Creator — Korean Painter Kim Hyun Jung

☞ 1. A Profile in Keywords

2. Kim Hyun Jung's Naesoong Series (1)

3. Kim Hyun Jung's Naesoong Series (2)

4. Surviving as an Artist

5. Kim Hyun Jung's 'Likes' (Daily Life and Tastes)

Written by — Moon Han-a (Design Press Editor; Photo: Kim Jan-dui)