Cosmopolitan | Meeting Kim Hyun Jung, the Painter of ‘Naesoong’
An interview with Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung published by Cosmopolitan on July 14, 2015 in its 'Cosmo X Brand' section. She spoke about the outlook behind her 'Naesoong' series — depicting women whose outward appearance differs from their inner selves in defiance of social convention — and her plans for a new venture called 'social drawing.' Photography by Kim Han-jun, artwork photos courtesy of Kim Hyun Jung Art Creative Center, hair & makeup by Seol Eun-seon, styling by Ryu Si-hyuk.
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CAREER
Meeting Kim Hyun Jung, the Painter of 'Naesoong'
Where do artists who inspire people with their creative work draw their own energy from? We asked an artist of this era for the secret to working without ever burning out.
"Through self-portraits, I express the wish to break free from society's conventional gaze"
1 'Ready!,' featuring a woman in hanbok playing billiards.
2 Her mukbang in hanbok, 'All Out.'
Office workers sometimes say they work because 'the boss is on their case' or 'for the paycheck.' What drives you as an artist?
The easiest thing for anyone to understand, and my biggest driving force, is myself. The moment I'm painting is the moment I'm happiest, so I can keep going. Nothing beats the thrill I feel while painting.
As an artist opening a new horizon in Korean painting, I'm curious what you dream of doing next.
I have a dream of pioneering a genre called 'social drawing' — completing a work together with the public and the artist through social media. It would be wonderful if art could settle comfortably into people's daily lives and become a culture anyone can enjoy.
You're popular enough to be called 'the idol of Korean painting.' Why do you think so many people are drawn to your work?
I think it's because anyone can understand it easily and view it comfortably. It's almost like a modern-day genre painting, honestly depicting the details of our everyday lives, and I think that's what resonates with so many people.
It's remarkable that a genre like Korean painting can be expressed this way — a woman dressed elegantly in hanbok playing billiards, eating ramyeon while gazing at a luxury bag, exercising! How did such an innovative idea come to you?
I wanted to rebel against the convention that says 'you should do this at a time like this' or 'a person like this should act like that.' By letting traditional dress and modern daily life coexist, I tried to express unexpectedness, and within that contrast, to give shape to the irony of 'a woman whose outside and inside don't match' — her 'naesoong.' It's an expression of defiance against society's conventional gaze, and at the same time, an expression of my own inner wish to be free from other people's judgment.
It must not be easy to keep finding new material every time under the theme of 'a woman in hanbok putting up a false front.' Where do you find your ideas?
They often come to me in a flash, in everyday life. Last year's solo exhibition, the 'Naesoong Olympics' series, also came from an emotion I captured on canvas after I happened to visit Yangjae Citizens' Park. Since most of my work is confessional self-portraiture, my everyday life itself becomes a wellspring of inspiration.
Credit
Editor Yoo Mi-ji, Kim Hye-mi
Photographs Kim Han-jun, [Artwork] courtesy of Kim Hyun Jung Art Creative Center
Hair & Makeup Seol Eun-seon
Stylist Ryu Si-hyuk
Assistant Gu Ja-min