Hana Artverse 2024 honors artists with developmental disabilities

Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo, second from right, looks at artworks displayed during the 2024 Hana Artverse at the Hana Bank headquarters in central Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of Hana Financial Group

Hana Financial Group awarded and honored artists with developmental disabilities at its Hana Artverse ceremony on Friday, commemorating the 44th Day of Disability in the country.

Launched in 2022, Hana Artverse is an annual art competition for artists with developmental disabilities.

The financial giant said a total of 584 artists with developmental disabilities nationwide participated in the competition, including 548 joining in the painting category and 36 in the digital art category, from Dec. 4 last year to Feb. 11 this year.

Ranging from children and teenagers to adults, 30 were selected as winners by the judging committee from Hanyang University.

Three winners selected in the adult category will be offered the opportunity to participate in a six-month internship program provided by Spring Shine, a social enterprise dedicated to fostering artists with disabilities.

Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo, center in the front row, stands next to winners and winners' family members during the 2024 Hana Artverse at the Hana Bank headquarters in central Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of Hana Financial Group

The award winners' artworks will be exhibited at the first-floor gallery at the Hana Bank headquarters in central Seoul until Wednesday. The special exhibition will continue at H.art1, an open gallery of the financial group located on Euljiro Street in central Seoul, during the entire month of May.

"It is important to have a recognition that disabilities should be respected as individual differences, rather than subjects of discrimination," Hana Financial Group Chairman Ham Young-joo said. "Hana Financial Group will continue to accompany individuals with disabilities so that they grow healthily as members of society, and the group will participate in activities to improve social awareness of disabilities through generous support and engagement," Ham added.