Issue 49: Bringing In the Traditional Art through Love, Humor, and Cats with 혜진 고양이 민화

Enjoy the perfect visual recipe - Minhwa, Pop-Art, and Cats!

Hi KP!

I’ve been itching to introduce this amazing Korean artist who signs her art with her name 혜진 (Hyejin) and showcases her works under the name 혜진 고양이 민화 (Hyejin Goyang-i Minhwa), to my beloved KP community. I discovered her art last summer during the Seoul Illustration Fair (referred to as 서일페 in Issue 42), and I have been obsessed ever since. 고양이 (Goyang-i) means a cat in Korean, and 민화 (Minhwa) refers to Korean folk art. Hyejin creates modern minhwa using the traditional technique of dyeing hanji, Korean rice paper, and she applies many layers of color slowly and patiently. What makes her art stand out is the humor in her subject matter—cats depicted in the most ludicrous settings, all painted quaintly and beautifully. I don’t need to ramble on about how ridiculously lovable these pieces are. Please see them for yourself, love them, and enjoy them!

PS. All the art included below is from Hyejin’s Instagram account here. I’ve intentionally kept all arrows and dots to indicate that these images are screen-captured from her account. You can also look at more of her art here, which is her art account.

Sweet & Salty: Art of 혜진 고양이 민화 (Hyejin Goyang-i Minhwa)

Image from the Artist’s IG account @rockcobok

A killer whale is certainly not the kind of animal that appears in Korean traditional art. The contrast between the dramatic killer whale and the seemingly domestic black and white cat in a traditional minhwa setting is both striking and entertaining.

Image from the Artist’s IG account @rockcobok

This piece features a giant rubber duck set against a traditional backdrop, accompanied by a grumpy-looking black and white cat and an indifferent killer whale. It strongly conveys a pop-art feel despite being beautifully painted with traditional materials. I am curious to know if the artist was inspired by the World’s Largest Duck.

Image from the Artist’s IG account @rockcobok

Is there a way not to love this Halloween piece?

Image from the Artist’s IG account @rockcobok

How about this - isn’t this the most perfect Halloween art?

Image from the Artist’s IG account @rockcobok

The phrase says “Merry Christmas” in Korean. This art mimics the look of an old Korean notebook/book format where the pages are visibly bound with thread, and the label is placed vertically. The delightful contrast of a traditional setting for a distinctly Western holiday, coupled with the English phrase written phonetically in Korean using classic calligraphy, creates an amusing and endearing effect.

Image from the Artist’s IG account @rockcobok

I can’t get enough of this Christmas-themed art.

Image from the Artist’s IG account @rockcobok

This piece displays the phrase “Happy New Year” phonetically in Korean, again, in a very classic calligraphy. Below, in the Korean School section, explore the symbolism of magpies, tigers (big cats!), and pine trees in traditional Korean paintings.

Image from the Artist’s IG account @rockcobok

I absolutely love this artwork. There is a genre of painting from the Joseon Dynasty that focuses on flowers and insects, known as 초충도 (Cho-Choong-Do), which translates to "a painting of plants and insects." This piece from Hyejin integrates the stray cat with a TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) theme infusing humor and love into the genre.

Creating art using traditional Korean methods demands patience. The artist applies colors layer by layer, carefully and lovingly, until the vibrant colors emerge with lots of deep and subtle undertones. Even for her "mass-produced" fans, Hyejin dyes each fan with extract from acorns and individually paints on them. You can see a snippet of her process here.

Do you see why I admire this artist’s work so much?

Korean School: 민화 Minhwa

Fun facts, idioms, translations and history

Magpie and Tiger, Anonymous Artist, Joseon Dynasty

민화 Minhwa translates as People’s Art and is a folk art genre from the Joseon Dynasty era of Korea. Free from the constraints of formal aristocratic art, minhwa is often colorful, dynamic, and sometimes humorous. They carry wishes of everyday life and are meant to enrich commoners’ lives. For example, a magpie and a tiger with a pine tree were popular subject matters of minhwa. While magpies symbolize good news and good fortune, the tigers fight off the bad luck, and the evergreen pine trees symbolize longevity. Most minwha preserved from that era were created by anonymous artists. Seo Choi, who was featured in KP Issue 32, is in works of publishing Minwha Workbook.