Artist Kim Young-jun, known for his modern interpretations of traditional lacquer and mother-of-pearl art, is holding a solo exhibition at Hankyung Gallery in Seoul until Oct. 3. The exhibition showcases 30 pieces, including lacquer paintings, inlaid mother-of-pearl wall hangings and craftworks.

Kim has taken a fresh approach to traditional Korean lacquer and mother-of-pearl art. His lacquer paintings have vibrant reds, oranges, yellows and blues ― unusual colors for traditional black lacquerware or artwork.

He has also gone a step further by decorating modern furniture and objects with elegant mother-of-pearl inlays. Kim rose to fame in the art world after Bill Gates asked him to make mother-of-pearl inlaid Xboxes, Microsoft’s video game console, for gifts in 2008. 

In this exhibition, Kim is also presenting collaborative works with a fashion designer, ceramic artist and a historian-artist who helped in the creation of a mother-of-pearl dress and a king’s seal-patterned lacquer painting.

Some of the proceeds from the exhibition will be donated to charity organizations, including Flower Day Morning Art School for underprivileged teenagers in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province.

For more information, call (02) 360-4232.

By Lee Woo-young (wylee@heraldcorp.com)