The artworks of lacquer artist Jeong Kwang-bok and sculptor Hong Seung-tae may seem like they have nothing in common. But the two artists’ work styles share a common feature -- expanding the boundary of art without confining themselves to a certain art medium or art category. The exhibition “Modern Postmodern, Postmodern Post” at Gallery Insa Art in Insadong, central Seoul, showcases the two artists’ latest 70 artworks -- sculptures, lacquer paintings and craftworks.

Sinnoi -- a Korean jazz trio that is pioneering a new music genre combining Korean folk music and jazz -- will perform their new song “Neo Simbangkok” on Jan. 29 and Jan. 30 at Arko Arts Theater in Jongno-gu, central Seoul. The trio’s performance is part of the project “Arko Selection” by the Arts Council Korea, the national art organization that supports artists and arts entities. The project aims to promote development in the music industry by selecting 21

In a dark room, animals bloom from digitally projected flowers on a wall. When touched, the flowers scatter and disappear -- just as it would in nature when humans seek to manipulate it. The artwork -- “Animals of Flower, Symbiotic Lives II” -- was one of several at the exhibition “teamLab: LIFE” at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul that went viral after it opened last September, attracting a large number of visitors despite the ongoing pandemic. Designed by teamLab,

French visual artist David Jamin is a delicate observer of people’s emotions. The artist delivers his subjects’ emotions on his canvas using a variety of vivid colors and spontaneous drawings of their gestures. His paintings suggest a portrait of someone’s soul. The artist, based in France, hosts his first museum exhibition in South Korea at the Hangaram Art Museum at the Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul, showcasing his 61 original paintings, including the new “Intr

Kukje Gallery‘s newly renovated K1 building has been chosen as the winner of the Best Cultural Draw at the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2021. Design magazine Wallpaper* annually announces the winners of the awards in its February issue, publishing the list of outstanding places and products across the world from the past 12 months. The gallery’s K1 building is a multiuse arts complex featuring an expanded gallery space, cafe, restaurant, yoga studio and private gym where works by the

Hyundai Hwarang (Gallery Hyundai) hosts a special exhibition in memory of South Korean artist Chang Uc-chin, whose works of modern art are loved by many Koreans for their unique warm-hearted simplicity, reflecting the artist’s own painting style. Born in 1918, the artist loved folksy subjects such as Korea’s rural scenery, family, magpies and hanok, or traditional Korean houses. Due to his pursuit of simplicity, some say his paintings look like the work of a child. But that simple

BTS won album of the year at the 35th Golden Disc Awards on Sunday, grabbing the trophy for the fourth consecutive year, further cementing its position as the most popular boy band in the country. The boy band won the honor for its fourth full album, “Map of the Soul:7,” which was released in February 2020. The album consists of 19 tracks that deliver stories of BTS members discovering their true selves. The video for the album’s main track, “On,” received more th

Hakgojae Gallery kicked off the year with an exhibition looking into the meaning of humanity after the devastating COVID-19 pandemic has changed many things. The exhibition, “Hakgojae Collection, 38˚C,” takes place both offline and online. “People are focusing on their body now. They isolate themselves to protect it from the pandemic and react sensitively to symptoms. Thirty-eight degrees Celsius is widely considered a high fever for humans, which became a criteria for banni

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea announced Wednesday the exhibition line-up for the year and a plan for earlier completion of restoration of Paik Nam-june’s largest artwork, “The More the Better.” Among the 23 upcoming exhibitions, “Pandemic -- Catastrophes and Cure,” which will look into how the artists are living through the pandemic and how it has affected countries and individuals’ lives, is the main highlight of the year. The

Though heavy snow created traffic chaos in Seoul on Wednesday evening, some enjoyed the weather by going outside and making “snow creatures” throughout the night. With more than 13 centimeters of snow in some regions, the weather allowed for some fun outdoor activities amid the pandemic that has kept many cooped up inside. People took to social media to post photos of the snowmen and snow creatures they spotted on the streets. Among the most popular snow creations were snow ducks

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our lives in many ways and has also made many people think about the environment, after seeing piles of throwaway face masks and plastic containers from food deliveries. With that, “upcycling” is gaining renewed attention in the fashion scene. Upcycling involves creating new items using old materials or reusing discarded products. Kim Byeol-ri, a 22-year-old college student, recently purchased a denim miniskirt and handbag made from an old pair o

Contemporary art master Kim Tschang-yeul died Tuesday at the age of 91, leaving behind a legacy of pioneering Korean abstract art. The artist’s unique “waterdrop paintings” greatly influenced both the Korean and global art scene, harmonizing Korean and Western values. Having lived through turbulent periods in Korean history, he condensed his philosophy and agony into waterdrops, which became his signature art. Kim was born in 1929 in South Pyongan Province, in today‘

The pandemic year saw interest in interior design rise as people were forced to spend more time at home. Responding to such interest, PKM Gallery’s first exhibition of the year sheds light on how artworks and home furniture that transcend time and region can be harmonized at home. “Time in Space: The Life Style” held at PKM+, part of the PKM Gallery in central Seoul, showcases around 40 paintings, sculptures, ceramics and pieces of furniture. The exhibition hints at how artw

British painter Rose Wylie has brought her bold, expressive brushwork to Korea for the country’s first museum exhibition of her work. Her large-scale paintings have a bright feel to them, often with a childlike look. The 86-year-old artist gained global fame relatively recently. Although she gave up art to raise a family after marrying in her early 20s, she resumed her studies at the age of 45, entering the Royal College of Art in London. She would have to wait even longer for widesp

After a year of scrambling to respond to the unexpected pandemic, art institutions are bracing for 2021, a year that is expected to be another challenging one for artists, as well as museums and galleries. Better equipped to deal with the pandemic-wrought havoc after a turbulent year of on-and-off and then on-again exhibitions, major art institutions have announced their lineups for 2021, including two major biennales. The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea is holding &ld

Star lecturer Seol Min-seok said he will leave all programs in which he appears, admitting to plagiarism of his master’s degree thesis written 10 years ago. He holds a master’s degree in history education from Yonsei University. “I sincerely apologize for causing concerns over thesis plagiarism which was reported on news today. I admit I neglected my research and was not sufficiently thorough with noting references and footnotes,” he wrote via Facebook on Tuesday. &ldquo

Reminiscing on the good times is natural when we face tough times in life. Some get comfort by reminiscing and talking about the good old days, wishing they could turn back time. As such, the retro trend has been rising fast this year, as more people look back as a distraction from the unprecedented challenges in these pandemic times. Lee Ok-young, a 32-year-old housewife, recently purchased some old-fashioned items that remind her of her childhood years, including a table that could be seen a

The English-language edition of a biography of Park Seo-bo, a contemporary artist who led the “dansaekhwa” movement of the 1970s, was recently published online as an open-access publication at www.parkseobo.life. Dansaekhwa refers to a style of Korean abstract painting that accompanies a process of repetition and meditation. The original biography, “Park Seo-bo’s Art&Life,” was written in Korean by the artist’s daughter Park Seung-sook, an art therapist,

International Youth Fellowship -- an international Christian youth organization -- held a global dance competition “Online Creative Dance Competition” that was streamed live on Saturday on its official YouTube channel under the title “Shall we dance like the stars?” The dance competition aimed to foster hope and offer joy to people amid the pandemic, according to the organization. A total of 30 selected teams from around the world -- 20 teams from Korea and 15 teams fr

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea kicked off a new online program to introduce Korea’s contemporary artists whose works have been shown at the national museum this year or will be on display next year as part of its efforts to beef up its online content during the pandemic. Titled “MMCA Artist Talk,” the online program -- which aims to introduce a total of 52 artists -- will be released every week through December 2021 on MMCA’s YouTube channel a