HEMYEONG

Hemyeong Kim Seong Heui is an artist who has been painting constellations and the universe on traditional Korean hanji paper using ink for over 40 years. As a professor at Seoul National University's Department of Oriental Painting, she has served as the director of the Seoul National University Museum and dean of the College of Fine Arts. Her works are part of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art's collection, cementing her important role in Korean art. After beginning her European journey with a showcase at Bonhams in London last year, this Paris exhibition marks her first solo show as a digital artist.

Hemyeong creates constellations on traditional hanji made from long-fibered paper, using ink and natural dyes, then connects them with lines to form the universe. Hanji, for her, is not just a medium but a material made from natural elements through traditional techniques, closely tied to her philosophical exploration. As Hemyeong explains, "Just as stars are born and disappear, human desires may be fleeting, but it is those desires that drive us forward." Her depiction of stars and the universe is a metaphor for the essence of human existence.