Korean International Art Fair(KIAF), the largest international art fair in Korea, will go online as the government’s strengthened social distancing system continues, the KIAF Art Seoul Committee announced Monday. KIAF Art Show 2020 – which was scheduled to be held in late September at Coex in southern Seoul -- will take place online through Online Viewing Room, showcasing around 4,000 works of art from 143 galleries from home and abroad. The number of participating galleries, howe

A painter widely known for the Minjung Art sociopolitical movement that flourished in the 1980s, Choi Min-hwa has unveiled his new “Once Upon a Time” painting series that has been 20 years in the making, inviting viewers to enter a utopia he envisions as integrating the mythologies of the West and the East. The exhibition, “Once Upon a Time,” at Gallery Hyundai showcases 60 paintings and 40 sketches by Choi that were inspired by “Samguk Yusa,” a collection o

“Signature” By Lee Hang-shim (Dasanbooks) Korean society is at a watershed moment to advance further by accepting the growing demand in diversity propelled by the digital revolution and the sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic that has brought an unconventional style of life to overall society. “Signature” tells readers that they need to find their own signature -- or a psychological asset -- that is an unreplaceable strength and differentiates them from others a

Indonesian visual artist Eko Nugroho is holding his second solo exhibition in Korea at Arario Gallery Seoul, showcasing 20 works of embroidered paintings and acrylic paintings anchored in Indonesian traditions. The exhibition, “Lost in Parody,” presents largescale embroidered works measured over 4.5 meters in length which were produced using traditional embroidery techniques and batik, a traditional method of dyeing textiles. Nugroho has been making embroidered paintings since 2

Furniture designer Ha Ji-hoon and the Living and Arts Creative Center -- a social enterprise that promotes craft art -- were selected for Craft Prize 2020, an annual craft award organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Crafts & Design Foundation. The annual award is given to craft artists or institutions that have contributed to promoting the beauty of craft art at home and abroad. The creativity section of the award went to furniture designer Ha Ji-hoon wh

Print Bakery by Seoul Auction in Samcheong-dong, central Seoul, has turned into an upscale multicultural complex. The art store reopened on Aug. 14, after going through an extensive renovation, under a new brand name, Print Bakery X Collector, according to the company. Print Bakery, which is run by Seoul Auction, the largest art auction firm in Korea, has eight branches across the country. The flagship store in Samcheong-dong, central Seoul will offer premium print editions of artworks

Atelier Hermes -- a nonprofit gallery in Seoul run by Fondation d’Entreprise Hermes -- has brought together rising South Korean contemporary artists around the theme of “Elsewhere.” “Elsewhere” -- which opened Friday and runs through Oct. 25 -- showcases five new works by five Korean contemporary artists that explore the domains of the psyche and the subconscious, questioning our visual perception. Artists Kim Dong-hee, Kim Hee-cheon, Noh Sang-ho, Son Kwang-ju

"Chaekkori Painting: A Korean Jigsaw Puzzle” By Kay E. Black Sahoipyoungnon Academy  The paintings of books and stationery laid on bookshelves give off a feeling of coziness and comfort, as if you were in a library. “Chaekkori” or “chaekgeori” refers to a unique genre of Korean painting that proliferated in the Joseon era (1392-1910), depicting books and other assorted items on bookshelves. Literally meaning “books and things,” chaekgeori

Gana Art, a major commercial art gallery in Korea, will host the solo exhibition of sculptor Ji Yong-ho, who is widely known for his “Mutant” series of giant animal sculptures made from abandoned tires. The upcoming exhibition aims to show how his mutant series has developed with the use of new techniques and different materials. With the “New Mutant” series Ji’s previous mutants have been turned into new mutant sculptures reproduced with 3D modeling techniques.

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, has launched an online store that offers nearly 500 items including exhibition catalogs and books. The online store has 57 exhibition catalogs as well as books. Some have been translated into English, including “The Transnational Museum,” “What Do Museums Collect?” “MMCA Collection 300” and “Architecture and Heritage: Unearthing Future.” Museum merchandise such as postcards, magnets an

The Busan Biennale, an international contemporary art show that takes place in the southern port city, is ready to demonstrate that the role of art has become more essential than ever in these pandemic-hit times. “In a situation of a crisis, an art space can be a space of reflection. It can be a space where you can think and share your thought with other people,” Busan Biennale Artistic Director Jacob Fabricius told The Korea Herald during an interview last week in central Seoul.

Yeol Korean Heritage Preservation Society, a private organization founded to promote Korean beauty and cultural heritage, will host its first exhibition of the year, presenting the beauty of Korean craft art from 12 promising artists. The exhibition, “Ornament,” will be held from Sept. 1 to 28 at Yeol Bukchonga in central Seoul, showcasing a variety of ornaments and scarves that feature Korean traditional beauty from nine craft artists and three textile artists. The artists includ

Seoul Auction is holding an online auction in conjunction with Artsy, a global art sale platform, featuring artworks by Korean masters as well as international artists, such as Damien Hirst and KAWS. South Korea’s largest auction firm is running a preview until Sept. 1 at the Seoul Auction Gangnam Center. The “Artsy x Seoul Auction: Splash! Splash!” will show around 80 art pieces by artists from 11 countries. The total value of the pieces estimated at around $780,000. It

Walking around Seoul, one can easily spot buildings built during the Japanese colonial era. Park Ga-hee, 31-year-old resident of a neighborhood next to Gyeongbokgung Palace in central Seoul, passes by the Bank of Korea Money Museum on her way to and from work. The building, built in 1912, was the headquarters for the Bank of Joseon during the Japanese colonial era. “I am aware that the building was used to colonize Korea. It is not a pleasant thing to see the building,” Park said

　Three venues of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) -- Seoul, Gwacheon and Deoksugung -- will temporarily close, starting Wednesday, as the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic began to escalate again in the metropolitan area. 　“We have decided to close for now and will gauge the timing to reopen again,” Tiffany Yun, deputy director of communication and media team at MMCA, told The Korea Herald. 　MMCA’s Cheongju venue in North Chungcheong Provin