Zhang Xiaogang is one of the most successful living Chinese artists, with his works setting records at international auctions. His famous “Bloodline ― Big Family” sold for HK$94.2 million ($12 million) at the Sotheby’s auction in Hong Kong in April last year. The artist, who led the unprecedented growth of the Chinese art market in the 2000s, is now looking back on his 30-year art career. “It’s hard to sum up my 30-year art career in one word. But if I have to explain, the retrospective is about

ULSAN ― Every summer for the past eight years, art sculptures and installations popped up along the Taehwa River that cuts through this port city, home to the world’s largest automobile assembly plant and its largest shipyard. But the Taehwa River Eco Art Festival seems to have had little impression on citizens of Ulsan, despite its stated aim of stimulating public interest in art. “We’ve met opposition and complaints from citizens and local businesses in organizing the art festival. Even though

Creatures and characters from “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” come to life at an exhibition in Seoul. Some 300 other mythical creatures also have been on display at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza since last week, fascinating fans of fantasy films and novels.What draws attention aside from the diverse imaginary characters is the profile of the creative director behind these creations, Richard Taylor, CEO of Weta Workshops. The New Zealand-based special effects company has provided physical

Shopping for a summer wardrobe can be tricky. Style choices are simple: it’s either short-sleeve or sleeveless shirts, normal-length long pants for men and shorter pants for women. The trick is how to look chic while staying cool in the hot, sticky weather. To achieve both style and cool effects, one essential is a summer fabric that uses the latest innovative technologies to keep the body temperature down. Some basic fabrics that give wearers a cool feeling include linen, fabric made from the f

Korea has promoted the country’s tourism under several slogans ― none of which survived long enough to make a lasting impression. The slogans, which sometimes cost millions of dollars to come up with, were pulled for various reasons. “Sparkling Korea” was briefly withdrawn in the U.S. after the shooting rampage in Virginia by a Korean-American student in 2007. The word sparkle was feared to denote the muzzle flash of a gunshot. Before that, there was “Dynamic Korea,” which was scrapped out of fe

Artist Kim Heung-sou died of complications from old age on Monday, his family said. He was 95. Dubbed the “Picasso of Korea,” the painter pioneered a painting style called “Harmonism,” which signifies a balance of the opposite elements of abstraction and figuration.  Kim Heung-sou. (Yonhap)Born in the North Korean province of South Hamgyeong, he studied painting at Tokyo University of the Arts, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1944. He briefly served as an art teacher at Seoul Art High School and

With the click of a mouse, one can access a sea of information that was unimaginable before the advent of the World Wide Web. But more often than not a flood of information causes frustration when one is searching for a single piece of information. In this era when one can access information instantly, choosing the right information can be a daunting challenge. The confusion and irritation caused by what futurologist Alvin Toffler calls “information overload” in his 1970 bestselling book “Future

Actor Lee Byung-hun has received the Asia Pacific Screen Award for his acting in the 2012 period movie “Masquerade.”The award was given by the chairman of the Asia Pacific Screen Academy Michael Hawkins on Tuesday at the Australian Embassy in Seoul. The Asia Pacific Screen Academy is a body of 650 respected filmmakers in the Asia Pacific region. “Lee Byung-hun has received this award -– his first APSA win -– for his two starring roles, as a king and acrobat in Masquerade, which was the fourth-hi

Poster for “Paper Playground,” a paper craft workshop for kids to be held at Topgol Museum. (Topgol Museum)Used paper boxes will be recycled into playthings in a papercraft workshop for kids at Topgol Museum in Seoul. The museum holds the workshop entitled “Paper Playground” from June 10-July 13. The museum is located on the first floor of Seoul Senior Welfare Center in Jongno. Children will make lamps, frames, chairs and other pieces of furniture with used paper boxes in different classes. Othe

The number of South Korean overseas tourists appears to have fallen steadily since the Sewol ferry sank in April, killing 288 passengers with 16 still missing.About 142,000 people traveled abroad in May through Hana Tour, South Korea’s largest travel company, the company said. The figure is down 5.7 percent from the same month last year. So far 107,000 have booked to go abroad in June, down 12.1 percent from a year earlier.  Travelers stand in line at Gimpo International Airport on Tuesday, a da

Women leaders in media, fashion and culture will talk about women’s leadership and style at the Beautiful Women Conference, scheduled for June 13-14 in Seoul. The conference, in its second year, will bring seven figures from media, fashion, makeup, interior design and classical music, who will give tips on enriching life as well as leadership among women. The conference will be held at Auditorium at Coex, Samseong-dong, Seoul. The invited speakers are Sohn Ji-ae, former president and CEO of Arir

In the age of digital content available at your fingertips, comics have fallen as mere entertainment for killing time during commuting hours. But cartoonist Park Heung-yong’s works have been more than a flip-through. In fact, they have been highlighted with unconventional subjects and depth usually found in novels. Park has created works that are grounded in Korean sentiment and the lives of average people and the underprivileged. Instead of conforming to publishers’ tastes, he has set his own p

Sarangchae, a museum just outside the presidential residence Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, has reopened this week with a new promotional hall for Korean food. The museum was closed for renovations for about two months to more effectively showcase Korean culture and tradition. Existing exhibition halls have been refurbished, with the Korean food promotion hall and a cafe added. The new hall is open only to those who make phone or Internet reservations. They can taste Korean dishes and also watch cookin

Other than Arabic script written on colored balloons, nothing directly tells what the four balloons placed on sand tower intend to convey. Though it looks like any other conceptual contemporary art installation, “The Arab Spring” sums up the current political situation in Arab countries. Made by Saudi Arabian artist Faisal Samra, the work consists of four balloons in white, black, red and green, each representing flag colors of Arab nations. The balloons speak for countries on the verge of upris

Gana Art Center’s chairman Lee Ho-jae has established an art foundation that will support artists and art projects, preserve art materials and set up a new museum. Lee has contributed some 200 pieces from his extensive collection of Korean art to the Gana Foundation for Arts and Culture.He runs the Gana Art Center, Seoul Auction and artist residency programs in Korea and Paris. “The foundation will support exhibitions and artists that might not otherwise be recognized. It will also provide Lee’s

Buddhist statues, stupas and ceramics have been associated with the image of Korea in overseas exhibitions of its culture and traditions. But an exhibition underway at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea seeks to break the stereotype with art inspired by Korean landscape. One of the exhibition walls displays images of Korean landscapes captured by observant artists ― majestic white clouds in a blue sky; small islands on the distant horizon; tall pine trees and the effect of

As more people are choosing clothes and jewelry that highlight the wearers rather than specific brands, jewelers have started creating one-of-a-kind jewelry that can showcase the wearer’s personal history. Jewelry designer Jung Soo-yeon, who launched her jewelry brand Tanello in 2000, says she has succeeded in attracting both foreigners and Koreans in Seoul looking for such unique jewelry. “I focus on the private feeling that the jewelry can give to the wearer,” said Jung in a recent interview w

Mount Jirisan offers stunning scenery from every peak and ridge, but also holds a trove of unique culture and rich tradition well preserved for centuries. The biggest mountain range in South Korea sprawls across seven cities and counties in the Jeolla region and South Gyeongsang Province. Hikers visit there year-round to appreciate its majestic peaks, the highest of which towers 1,915 meters above sea level, and to tread trails that weave in and out of the foothills of the mountain. The popular

HONOLULU (AP) ― A tourist-friendly beach named for a Hawaii surfing legend has been dubbed the best public beach in the United States in this year’s Dr. Beach ranking.Duke Kahanamoku Beach, a well-groomed crescent of blond sand and palm trees near the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort, beat out more than 600 other beaches for the distinction.Stephen Leatherman, a Florida International University coastal science professor who goes by the nickname Dr. Beach, said the cleanliness, safe c

Artist Lee Wan discovered one day that the ingredients of the bread and carrot juice he had for breakfast came from more than 10 countries. The bread was made with flour from the U.S. and cooking oil from Malaysia, baked in China and sent to Korea. For him, the process was incomprehensible and even seemed inefficient. To understand the complex system behind his breakfast, he thought he had to become part of the process. “I decided to become a producer,” Lee said in an interview with The Korea He