YOUNG SAMSUNG | Meeting Kim Hyun Jung, the Idol of Korean Painting

Meeting Kim Hyun Jung, the Idol of Korean Painting

Seo Han-gil, Passion Reporter Corps | 2014-08-28

For some time now, an unconventional Korean painter has been gaining popularity through social media. Her works — showing a young woman elegantly dressed in the traditional hanbok playing pool or eating ramen — differ greatly from the Korean paintings we're used to. The artist behind these unconventional works is Kim Hyun Jung. Let's meet this youthful-looking artist, who looks almost like a college student.

When people picture a Korean painter, they usually imagine someone fairly advanced in age. Kim Hyun Jung, by contrast, is relatively young at 27. Yet she already holds solid standing in the art world. She has already held four solo exhibitions and won the Grand Prize in the Korean Painting category at the 14th World Peace Art Grand Exhibition in 2011. She was also named to Dong-A Ilbo's "100 People Who Will Shine Korea in 10 Years" list, earning recognition from many. Recently, she held an exhibition titled "Naesoong Olympics," drawing significant attention from both the public and numerous media outlets. She now communicates with the public through social media and is known as "the idol of Korean painting."

What led Kim Hyun Jung into Oriental painting was a book. "When moving up to my second year at arts high school, we had to choose a major. Around that time, I read a book called 'Special Lectures on the Beauty of Korea' by Oh Ju-seok, and I was deeply moved by the beautiful and outstanding tradition of Korean art." Her desire to follow in the footsteps of Kim Hong-do's wit, keen observation, and vibrant brushwork ultimately led her to commit to Oriental painting's distinctive techniques and materials.

Her Korean paintings are highly unconventional, far removed from what we usually picture. Yet she herself says her work isn't original. "Many artists before me have already made unconventional attempts. It's a bit much to claim originality just based on the particular materials or subject matter. But my working process is distinctive, at least." Indeed, her process is highly unusual. She first paints the nude figure, then, as if playing with paper dolls, collages hanji over it to express hanbok. This invites the viewer to imagine what might be happening within that wide skirt.

We asked Kim Hyun Jung what first led her to conceive of "Naesoong Story." She said it began from a desire to caricature people who are one way on the outside and another on the inside — those who are "coy." "I wanted to paint people who wear the elegant clothing of hanbok while behaving in a decidedly inelegant way. At the same time, I wanted to paint the inside of the skirt as translucent, almost visible, to express the idea that in the end, everything inside is fully revealed." But as she kept painting, she came to feel that the figures in her works closely resembled herself. "I realized that not just the appearance, but even the essence, resembled me, and from then on I began painting confessional self-portraits." What she disliked in others turned out to be the very things she wanted to hide about herself. Once she accepted that about herself, she was able to paint with far more ease — unlike before, when she forced herself to come up with subject matter, she now draws on her own self and daily life as material.

Everyday Life Becomes the Work

Most of her works are set against the backdrop of scenes from everyday life that we commonly encounter. In fact, rather than painting landscapes, she paints figures — always a woman in hanbok. "My work is my self-portrait. I get inspiration for my work from moment to moment in daily life." Her work "Tuhon (Fighting Spirit)" indeed captures a moment when she, having skipped meals while working, hurriedly ate for fear of collapsing. The detail of eating French fries with a straw came from wanting to avoid getting oil on her hands while painting. "Ideas suddenly come to me from my own life and experiences, and I think the more universal they are, the more empathy and love they receive."

What was Kim Hyun Jung's college life like? She has just completed her master's coursework and is currently in graduate school, so her college days aren't all that distant a memory. She said what she remembers most is "yajak" — late-night work sessions. "This is something every student in an arts field can relate to — what I remember most is the memories I built with friends, often staying late at school to work on assignments." Of course, she now works in a much better environment than during her undergraduate years, but she can never forget the time spent with friends in those relatively difficult circumstances.

Hoping Art Draws Closer to the Public

Even for someone who has already achieved so much at a young age, she has a bigger dream: making art that connects with the public. "Just as many people listen to music easily, I hope people can access art just as easily. Art isn't confined to exhibition halls — it exists in everyday life, too." Her dream is to help build a culture and structure where art permeates daily life and anyone can enjoy it. This is precisely why she has been conceiving and carrying out what she calls "social drawing."

"Social drawing" is a term she coined herself, combining "social" and "drawing." It refers to creating work together with the public — drawing on ideas from the public to conceive a piece, and painting it based on their feedback. When only the artist takes part in the creative process, the artist's intended message can end up being received differently by viewers. She said she wants to convey her intent directly by creating work together with the public through this kind of communication. "I also imagine becoming a kind of ambassador for traditional culture — someone who can explain, in an accessible way to the public, the traditional culture reflected in our art."

As a reporter, I've often found it hard to relate to the words of people who have already succeeded in society — feeling they belong to a different world made it difficult to form common ground. But Kim Hyun Jung was different. As a fellow student like us, her words carried far more weight. She had this to say to college students:

"I'm still in the process of learning myself, so I'm not really in a position to say much, but to college students who feel frustrated or powerless, I want to say this: 'Not giving your best to what you should be doing is something to be ashamed of. But failing to even try, out of fear of the outcome, is even more shameful.' This moment won't come back again. I want to tell you: always take on the challenge, and always give it your best."

[Photo caption] "Acha (我差) / Oops," one of Kim Hyun Jung's representative works

[Photo caption] ▲ Tuhon (Fighting Spirit)

Written by — Seo Han-gil (Passion Reporters Group)