Installation view of 《Jeju, Paints Asia》 © JEJU World Natural Heritage Center

The international exhibition 《Jeju, Paints Asia》 has reached its fifth edition. This exhibition is an engaging platform that brings together works by Asian artists to create a space where art and nature meet in Jeju. This year as well, the exhibition at the JEJU World Natural Heritage Center presents works by artists from Korea, China, and India.

The exhibition venue is located at the entrance to the scenic path leading up to Geomun Oreum, which was designated a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site in 2007, though it still remains relatively unknown to many. Participating Korean artists include Kang Hyungku, Kim Dongyoo, Hong Kyoungtack, and Kang Hyunwook, alongside Chinese artists such as Zhou Chunya, Wang Qingsong, and Feng Zhengjie. 

This exhibition is especially meaningful as the JEJU World Natural Heritage Center celebrates its 10th anniversary next year. Visitors who have made reservations to climb Geomun Oreum are encouraged to also view the exhibition. A total of 14 artists representing contemporary art from Korea, China, and India present 34 works. 

The theme of this year’s exhibition is “Human.” Park Cheolhee, director of the Asian Art Management Association and an international curator who operates a gallery in Beijing, organized the exhibition. He noted that having undergone quarantine more than four times for this exhibition made him realize once again the importance of international exchange. 


Installation view of 《Jeju, Paints Asia》 © JEJU World Natural Heritage Center

Previous editions of the exhibition focused on introducing works by representative Asian artists, primarily showcasing mid-career artists from Korea and China. In particular, the first edition in 2017 marked the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and China, leading to a focus on artists from the two countries. 

Zhou Chunya, often referred to as one of the “three emperors” of Chinese contemporary art, has participated continuously from the second edition in 2018 to the present exhibition. He is currently considered one of the most expensive living artists in China, alongside Zeng Fanzhi and Zhang Xiaogang. Celebrating the unity of Asian artists, Zhou has sent two new works this year. Given that his works are nearly impossible to acquire even for wealthy collectors due to overwhelming demand in China, this can be seen as an exceptional contribution. Known for his “Green Dog” and “Peach Blossom” series, he has recently focused on landscape painting. 

Wang Qingsong, another representative Chinese artist, is known for his photographic works that humorously depict contemporary Chinese society, and his works are also notoriously difficult to acquire. For this exhibition, he contributed two large-scale photographic works from the One World, One Dream series—one critiquing the exam-oriented education system in China, and the other directly addressing society’s obsession with famous brands. 

Works by emerging Chinese artists Pang Maokun and Zhang Jian are also on display. Zhang Jian’s new work ‘Flowers’—a large-scale piece measuring 3 meters in height and 4 meters in width—captured significant attention. Pang Maokun’s works, which reinterpret famous masterpieces using pencil and toner, evoke the mechanized nature of 21st-century industrial society. 

Since the third edition in 2019, works by Indian artists have also been introduced annually through recommendations by curator Song Insang. This year, works by Gigi Scaria and Anita Dube are presented, offering photographic works that reflect the bleak conditions of contemporary life and prompting reflection on humanity and the beauty of nature. 

Hong Kyoungtack, who has participated annually since the second edition, presents Six Celestial Bodies in this exhibition. Upon closer inspection, one can see a man diving into six layered spaces. The figure—seemingly the artist’s alter ego—appears strained rather than joyful, conveying the difficulty of entering a new world through his entire body. 

Artist Kang Hyunwook, participating for the first time this year, presents the three-channel video work The Man. This 5-minute and 30-second piece combines video and sound, featuring the artist himself rendered in 3D animation. The work portrays the structures from which contemporary individuals cannot escape. The central screen shows fragments rising into the sky and recombining, with the appearance of a cross prompting reflection on morality in our time. The left screen depicts a human walking upright through a forest, while the right screen presents a spectacular cosmic scene. The sound includes low-frequency tones designed to evoke psychological unease, reflecting the realities of contemporary life. 

Sculptural works can also be found both inside and outside the exhibition space. Sculptures by Lee Seungsoo, who works and teaches in Jeju, have become popular photo spots. Inspired by Jeju’s unique natural environment, his works—such as those depicting mystical deer found on Hallasan—leave a strong impression on viewers.

Outdoors, Yang Taegun’s stainless steel duck sculptures have also gained popularity. Other notable works include Kang Hyungku’s hyper-realistic paintings, Kim Dongyoo’s works composed of small portraits forming larger images, and Lee Gilwoo’s works created through incense-burning processes resembling ritual practice. 

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