As part of our VIP program, Kiaf has arranged a special time to visit the studios of leading artists in the Korean art scene. This visit offers a chance to engage in discussions with the artists about their artworks and create a more profound appreciation of an artist firsthand, surrounded by their creative energy. The studio visits in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do and Pyeongchang-dong, Seoul will take place sequentially in the spaces of Kun Yong Lee, Hae Sun Hwang, and Airan Kang. This experience aims to enhance understanding of their artworks and gain artistic inspiration.

[Participating Artists]

Kun Yong Lee | @leekunyong79

Kun Yong, Lee (b. 1942-), a pioneer of Korean performance art, explores themes of creation and annihilation through physical action. He is best known for his “Bodyscape” paintings, which trace his bodily movements across the canvas. Starting in the early 1970s, Lee began using these works to convey that human beings express and perceive through their bodies, challenging traditional notions of art.

Lee has significantly influenced Korean contemporary art. His work, spanning performance and drawing, has been exhibited globally, including the Pace Gallery in New York, the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, and the Guggenheim Museum. He has also been selected as the opening artist for the Centre Pompidou Hanwha Seoul, which will open in 2025 in South Korea.

Hae Sun Hwang | @hahahahwang

© Courtesy of the artist

Hae Sun Hwang (b. 1969-) extends her work from drawing and sculpture to spatial art. Using an ink stick, she captures her daily surroundings in intricate drawings and then transforms these into sculptures crafted from cloth, glass, and aluminum. Her unique concept, ‘drawing sculpture’, reflects everyday life’s fleeting moments and overlooked details. The shadows cast by lighting add another dimension to her work, completing the visual experience and turning each piece into a cohesive drawing. By transforming the everyday scenes she observes with a loving eye into her art, Hwang expresses herself and provides viewers with a sense of comfort derived from familiarity.

Airan Kang

© Courtesy of the artist

Airan Kang (b. 1960-) places great significance on the ‘book’ and the ‘light’ in her work. She began her career with printmaking but has since expanded her vision beyond the two-dimensional plane into the realm of illuminated books. Digital Book Project creates a temporal space for viewers to imagine the content of books and share their thoughts through the interplay of books and lights. Recently, Kang has been highlighting the stories of women who have remained on the fringes of modern history through her illuminated book installations.