20th Yongsan International Art Festival

In October 2023, I participated in the Yongsan International Art Festival in Seoul — an exhibition that brought together artists from diverse cultural backgrounds, each presenting a work shaped by personal memory, place, and artistic language.

The exhibition space unfolded as a succession of singular artistic worlds. Each artwork carried its own rhythm, its own atmosphere. Moving through the gallery, I was drawn into quiet conversations between images — a shared presence rather than a uniform display.

For this occasion, I presented a watercolor piece accompanied by a haiku. The painting depicted a still windmill and a passing ship — an image suspended between movement and waiting. The haiku introduced a poetic layer, creating a dialogue between visual stillness and linguistic brevity. The work explored the relationship between image and silence, between time and anticipation.

What made the festival meaningful was the quality of encounter. Conversations emerged organically — about artistic practice, migration, memory, and creative process. It felt like a moment of convergence, where distinct trajectories briefly aligned.

Participating in this exhibition reminded me that art gains depth through attention — through the quiet exchange between artist, work, and viewer.

For more details about the festival, you can read the Korea Times coverage here: Korea Times article.

Photo Gallery