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Kwon Mee-yoo

Korea Times Politics & City Reporter

Often found at theaters and museums, Kwon Mee-yoo has covered a wide range of cultural fields from K-pop and dramas to theater and fine art for over a decade. Now as K-Culture Desk editor, she tries to connect Korean culture with global readers through fresh perspectives.

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Arts & Theater

Beauty and secret of Korean embroidery unveiled

"Rank Badge with a Haechi” from 16th-17th century Joseon Kingdom / Courtesy of Sim Yeon-ok and Seo Heun-kangSim Yeon-ok traces 2,000-year history of Korean textile craftBy Kwon Mee-yooSim Yeon-ok, professor at the Korea National University of Cultural HeritageEmbroidery has a long history. The craft in Korea has evolved alongside textiles for over 2,000 years, reflecting cultural identity across historical eras and blurring the boundaries between art and technique.Sim Yeon-ok, a professor at the Department of Traditional Arts and Crafts at the Korea National University of Cultural Heritage, published her third book "2,000 Years of Korean Embroidery" last month to shed light on the lesser-known mastery of Korean embroidery.While previous research on Korean embroidery focused on aesthetics, Sim, as a textile engineer, looked at embroidered works through a microscope to examine their details and structure. Sim said her former professor Min Gil-ja, a pioneer in Korean textile research, inspired her to delve into the field. "Fiber and textiles should be understood and researched fro

Jul 2, 2020By Kwon Mee-yoo
Beauty and secret of Korean embroidery unveiled
Arts & Theater

Choi Wook-kyung's powerful, abstract world unveiled

Installation view of Choi Wook-kyung's solo exhibition at the newly renovated Kukje Gallery / Courtesy of Kukje GalleryBy Kwon Mee-yooChoi Wook-kyung / Courtesy of the artist and Kukje GalleryArtist Choi Wook-kyung (1940-85) lived a short but fierce life. She is best known for her bold abstract works influenced by her time in Korea and the United States.An exhibition at Kukje Gallery in downtown Seoul sheds light on Choi's early experimentations in painting and collages, created mostly from the 1960s to 1975 when she was in the U.S. This is Choi's third exhibit at the gallery following shows in 2005 and 2016. Choi, who graduated from Seoul Arts High School and the College of Fine Arts at Seoul National University, went to the U.S. in 1963 and studied at Cranbook Academy of Art and Brooklyn Museum Art School. The Korean art world was dominated by Dansaekhwa (Korean monochrome painting) and the avant-garde movement in the 1960s, but Choi ventured further into uncharted territory.The first part of the exhibition showcases Choi's more colorful works in which she strived to develop her ow

Jun 30, 2020By Kwon Mee-yoo
Choi Wook-kyung's powerful, abstract world unveiled
Arts & Theater

'Journey of Eternity' explores concept of time

Kang Da-hye performs in “The Journey of Eternity” at the SeMA Bunker, an underground tunnel presumed to be built during the military regime in the 1970s and now turned into an art museum. Courtesy of the Great CommissionBy Kwon Mee-yooA secret underground bunker on Yeouido, Seoul's well-known financial and political district, sounds unlikely, but there is one underneath the bustling Yeouido Transfer Center.The SeMA (Seoul Museum of Art) Bunker is an underground tunnel presumed to be built during the military regime in the 1970s. It is estimated to have been constructed between 1976 and 1977 as a secret space to guard then-President Park Chung-hee in the event of security incidents, but no documentation related to the bunker exists. The forgotten bunker was rediscovered in 2005 as preparations were made for the construction of the bus station and it was later designated as a Seoul Future Heritage site in 2013. The city decided to use the space as an art museum and the SeMA Bunker opened in October 2017 with minimum renovation to keep the place as close to the original as p

Jun 28, 2020By Kwon Mee-yoo
'Journey of Eternity' explores concept of time
Arts & Theater

Exhibition seeks peace, healing in memory of Korean War

Visitors take a look at Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei's "Law of the Journey" and "Bombs" on view at the "Unflattening" exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, Tuesday. YonhapBy Kwon Mee-yooWhile the leaflets flying across the border between North and South Korea have sparked unexpected tensions between the two countries, a handful of blue leaflets appeared at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) as part of the "Unflattening" exhibition in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the 1950-53 Korean War. The postcard-sized leaflet is named "Safe Conduct Pass" and says "War is not over just yet. Keep yourself safe with this document and follow the instructions ― See, read, keep this document and show this to as many people as possible."Also written is "Do the following to anyone in possession of this document: Make them breathe, do not discriminate against them, maintain a social distance from them, and respect them.""Safe Conduct Pass" by Documents Inc. is an artistic rendition of the ideological promotional leaflets

Jun 24, 2020By Kwon Mee-yoo
Exhibition seeks peace, healing in memory of Korean War
  • 70 years after the war, peace still elusive on Korean Peninsula
Arts & Theater

'Rent' director delivers rock spirit transcending time

A scene from the Korean production "Rent" staged at D-Cube Arts Center through Aug. 23 / Courtesy of Seensee CompanyBy Kwon Mee-yoo"Rent" director Andy Senor Jr. / Courtesy of Seensee CompanyRock musical "Rent," which celebrates its 24th anniversary this year, is showing its age as it revolves around a group of bohemian artists in New York in the early 1990s, but the show never gets old at the same time.A Korean production of the Broadway musical raised its curtain at D-Cube Arts Center in western Seoul last week, for the first time in nine years. The previous Korean productions were helmed by Korean directors who tried to interpret the resilient rock spirit for Korean audiences, but the show's producer Seensee Company decided to seek changes this time and invited a "Rent" expert from Broadway to breathe new, authentic life into the show. Andy Senor Jr., the director of this production, has a longstanding relationship with the show, written by Jonathan Larson. He debuted as an actor in "Rent" back in 1997, playing the iconic role of Angel, in shows on Broadway, in the West End and on

Jun 21, 2020By Kwon Mee-yoo
'Rent' director delivers rock spirit transcending time
Arts & Theater

Nam Tchun-mo wins art book award

Nam Tchun-mo By Kwon Mee-yooKorean artist Nam Tchun-mo's art collection "Beam Lines Spring Stroke" won the visual art section of the Preis der Stiftung Buchkunst (Stiftung Buchkunst Prize). The catalogue, published by Hartmann Books, centers on Nam's solo exhibition "Gesture in Space," held at the Ludwig Museum in Koblenz, Germany, last June to September, as well as his early works. Nam was the first Korean artist to hold an exhibition at the German museum. Byun Won-kyung, director of Aando Fine Art in Berlin, which represents Nam in Europe, said the book features Nam's body of work, including his drawings, paintings and sculptures and installations at exhibitions.Nam, born in 1961, is considered one of the new-generation artists of "Dansaekhwa" (Korean monochrome painting). The artist explores how to embody "lines," one of the basic elements of art, in three-dimensional quality. His line reliefs on canvas create dynamics of light and shadow and blur the boundary be

Jun 17, 2020By Kwon Mee-yoo
Nam Tchun-mo wins art book award
Arts & Theater

Ottogi third-generation Ham Yon-ji shines in theater, YouTube

Ham Yon-ji as Cha Me-ho in the musical “ChaMe” / Courtesy of Page1 CompanyBy Kwon Mee-yooHam Yon-ji, who plays the lead role of Cha Me-ho in the Korean musical "ChaMe," has several titles under her belt. She is the third-generation of the owner family of the instant food company Ottogi and a rising YouTube star who has over 145,000 followers.In the musical, Ham plays a timid job seeker who is overwhelmed by her social media persona Cha_Me, who shows up in the real world and lives the life Me-ho dreamed of. Instead of coveting the life of an imaginary identity, Me-ho slowly finds her true self at her own pace. However, in real life, Ham is a social media star with a YouTube Silver Play Button.Ham, who graduated from New York University Tisch School of the Arts, debuted as Scarlett O'Hara in the French musical version of "Gone with the Wind" in 2015. Her other theater credits include Mary in the French musical version of "Gone with the Wind" in 2015 Sunni in the play "Save the Green Planet," Constanze Weber in the Peter Shaffer play "Amadeus" and Fleur-de-Lys in the French

Jun 16, 2020By Kwon Mee-yoo
Ottogi third-generation Ham Yon-ji shines in theater, YouTube
Arts & Theater

Star-studded musicals seek to energize COVID-19-hit theater industry

Poster for "Everybody's Talking About Jamie," featuring Jo Kwon as Jamie / Courtesy of ShownoteBy Kwon Mee-yooDespite the theater industry being hit hard by the spread of COVID-19, as people have avoided gathering in indoor places, Korean performers and theatergoers are striving to revive the industry, becoming the only country where "The Phantom of the Opera" continues to show every night. For the summer peak season, a few new and returning musical productions will open with extra safety measures. Large-scale musical productions will still go on despite the pandemic, as canceling or postponing them would cause billions of won in damages. The two most highly anticipated musicals this summer are Korean premieres of hit musicals from the West End and Broadway ― "Everybody's Talking About Jamie" and "Something Rotten!""Jamie," based on the 2011 documentary "Jamie: Drag Queen at 16," is a West End musical that revolves around a 16-year-old schoolboy Jamie who dreams of becoming a drag queen. In the Korean production, 2AM's Jo Kwon, NU'EST's Ren, ASTRO's MJ and musical actor Shin Joo-hyup

Jun 16, 2020By Kwon Mee-yoo
Star-studded musicals seek to energize COVID-19-hit theater industry
Arts & Theater

Han Won-suk reconciles with life through art

Artist and architect Han Won-suk's "Rebirth" recreates the shape of the Cheomseongdae Observatory from the Silla period with headlights of scrapped cars. Courtesy of the artist Cheomseongdae-shaped installation ignites controversyBy Kwon Mee-yooThe familiar cylindrical shape of the Cheomseongdae Observatory, reimagined with recycled headlights from scrapped cars by artist and architect Han Won-suk, popped up in the heart of Seoul. Located on the rooftop of the Seoul Hall of Urbanism and Architecture near Seoul City Hall, Han's installation "Rebirth" attracts people's eyes in diverse ways. Some appreciate the unexpected appearance of a large-scale artwork in downtown, while others complain how it blocks the view of the Seoul Anglican Cathedral, contrasting the architectural intention of the Seoul Hall of Urbanism & Architecture."It is something I have to put up with as a creator. If it goes well with everything, it is design, not art. Some like my work and some don't and I appreciate both of them," Han said during an interview with The Korea Times. "Art critic Choi Tae-man on

Jun 14, 2020By Kwon Mee-yoo
Han Won-suk reconciles with life through art
Arts & Theater

Nonbat Art School in Paju up for art auction

Heyri Nonbat Art School in Paju, Gyeonggi Province is up for auction on June 17. Courtesy of Seoul AuctionBy Kwon Mee-yooArt auctions traditionally feature only artwork, but its horizons have broadened to include more diverse items such as wine and limited edition sneakers. The most attention-grabbing article up for auction at Seoul Auction's June event, scheduled for June 17, is the Nonbat Art School in the Heyri Art Village in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. The art education facility designed by seven artists, including Choi Jung-hwa, Park Ki-won, Kang Un and Lee Mi-gyung. Built in 2009, the building includes two galleries, a restaurant, three guest rooms and workshop spaces, complete with its own vegetable garden.Located in mountainous area of Paju, north of Seoul, the eco-cultural facility was established with the theme of "Farming is art." Maintaining the sloped geographical features as much as possible, the two galleries are named "Non" and "Bat," Korean words for paddy and dry field, respectively. The art school has been offering a variety of programs on art, ecology and culture.The

Jun 11, 2020By Kwon Mee-yoo
Nonbat Art School in Paju up for art auction
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