Meet Ham Bo-Kyung, an artist based in Seoul whose art blends tradition with modernity in a manner which expresses a gentle beauty. Her pieces are colourful, serene, and yet, are equally full of life and fun. Ham describes her paintings as those that“go one step further from works that contain traditional Korean beauty” and incorporate a unique kind of beauty, one that is “new and mild”. This is achieved by creating interesting scenes and intriguing characters. The lively works of art Ham creates have been described as “refined satire, humour and fluffy happiness of tradition.”
Ham describes herself as having been a child who loved drawing, “so much so that I was quiet when presented with paper and pencils.” She happily recalls receiving many awards related to painting during her years at school. Ham attended an art high school which allowed her the good fortune of pursuing her dream of becoming a painter. When her art studies led her to university, Ham elected to major in oriental painting. Ham further developed her skills by subsequently completing a postgraduate course. It was here Ham honed her already blossoming skills through the study of traditional Korean paintings. This experience allowed her to fall “in love with the charm” of older Korean paintings. Her biggest artistic influences have come from celebrated and highly regarded artists of the Joseon era, such as Shin Yun-bok, Kim Hong-do, and Jeongseon Gyeom to name a few.
Ham recalled her university professor telling her not to “be impatient when you’re in a situation where you can’t draw. If you have a desire to draw in your mind, you will achieve it someday.” Whilst Ham did not work on her art for a period of approximately ten years during which she (amongst other things) got married and had children, it was these words that encouraged her back to art. Since 2003, Ham has presented her works at numerous exhibitions, and been the recipient of several awards, including being appointed as a Cultural heritage repair technician.
“Most of my work,” Ham shared, “begins in my daily life” and her ideas arise naturally when she encounters something she likes or is interested in. “When this happens”, Ham said, “I organise my thoughts and make plans.” For example, she continued, “I tend to plan when to dye silk and make a frame for sketching and work on it.”
The traditional elements to Ham’s work is called ‘Jinchae’. This style of painting uses pigments that are extracted from natural minerals. Ham’s paintings are created on silk using traditional Korean techniques which are the same as those historically used when creating works for the Royal Court. These techniques equally feature in well known folk and Buddhist paintings and are often described as a “beautiful tradition.”
After dyeing the silk canvas with alder fruit, Ham sews the silk and ties the same to a wooden frame where she then proceeds to lovingly hand paint the canvas. Painting on silk is a process which, Ham explained, “takes a great deal of time because it has to be coloured on both sides. The work process is difficult. But there are more ways to express silk [as opposed to paper] and the colours are beautiful. This is due to the paints I use. They are made from natural stone rather than artificial colours” and it is this that gives her work an undeniable and easy sense of warmth.
I was interested to learn more about the process of mixing the paints she uses (made from stone powder and mixed with a melted natural glue). Ham shared with me a video of paint injection, as it was easier to show the process than to describe it. If you click here you will be taken the video. Talking of this, Ham said that she likes “the colour of the injection. If you look at my picture, there’s light orange to deep red, and you can create it from just one colour through the injection process.”
I asked if there is a particular piece of art that Ham is most proud of having created. To this she replied: “my favorite painting is Euphoria”. This painting (pictured right) is particularly special to Ham because she likes the colours and facial expression. It was her “first time painting a Brompton bicycle, which required a great deal of meticulous research.”
Ham feels grateful that there “are people who love my paintings. Not only in Korea but also abroad. I have received praise for my paintings, saying they are beautiful.” The best feeling about finishing a work of art is, Ham said “looking at my [finished] painting. I think about how I was able to overcome all the hard work it took to create it. This is comforting.” Ham’s hope for audiences of her art to feel what she hopes to express without having to receive an explanation. She hopes that her audience will look at her work, and smile. “If this happens,” Ham said, “I think I did a good job as an artist.”
Ham’s work has recently been on display as part of her solo exhibition, titled “A Miraculous Day”. Talking of the chosen name, Ham shared with me that the idea came from a song with a similar name (Miracle on a Normal Day) which she heard while out for drive. “I do my best thinking when I’m driving,” she said, and recalled how she felt“after listening to this song. It was a moment in my daily life, but I thought to myself that if I stay positive every day, I could be miraculously happier. Among the miraculous one-day exhibitions, there is a work I painted after a trip to Jeju Island. When I look back on the happy moments and pleasant thoughts I had at that time, I felt that I had been blessed with a miraculously happy day, so I captured that feeling put it in painted form.”
“Positive minds in everyday life make good thoughts, and when good things happen, it feels more miraculous”, Ham shared, in response to a question I asked about the power of positive thinking. There is a quote that Ham holds dear, which reads: “miracles in every day life occur in positive thoughts”. Talking a little of this in more detail, Ham shared that the importance it holds to her comes from herself, and how she is living a life following her dreams. “Whenever I faced difficulties in my life, and there have been many, I have always tried my best to think positively.”
Ham shared with me a bit about the sadness she has faced and had to overcome, including the loss of her mother and “sending two other precious people to heaven”. Ham talked candidly about how she has very little memories of the time when she lost her mother. When she looks back on her early life, Ham wonders if she had “ever traveled or played freely. I feel it is important to live happily. I want to let people know that happiness does not start far away, but begins with small happiness in everyday life.”
The interview then turned to some of her art that really captures the positive thought that “there will be good things!”, an idea that Ham tries to live by. We spoke about two pieces in particular (left and below), both of which are focused on time spent relaxing out at sea.
The first piece we spoke of features people on a yacht. Ham created this from a wish to capture a good moment. “It is,” Ham said, speaking of a day at leisure enjoying the beauty of being out at sea, “one of the things I longed to do when I was younger. I wanted to see the sea, but to spend time and enjoy the view with someone I liked. It makes me happy just thinking about it.”
Although Kayaking isn’t something that Ham has yet to experience herself, she hopes to, and the picture you see below was created from a wish to do so.
Ham is excited about, and looking forward to seeing, what 2024 will bring. Those like myself who love her art will be pleased to know that during the course of this year some of the collaborations Ham was working on during 2023 will be released. She also shared that 2024 will see her learning to draw on a computer, and presumably creating more digital art work. It will be, she said a year of challenges and excitement!
“I want everyone to feel a little bit of relaxation and happiness in the life they are living. There are many people who think that there is no happiness in their busy daily life, that they have a harder time than others, and that only bad things are likely to repeat. I was like that too, but if you think positively, cherish even the smallest things, and give meaning to them, small but certain happiness will gradually come to you in your daily life. I want to show that happiness is not far away.” -Ham Bo-kyung
Ham’s advice to artists just starting out: It may take a lot of time to achieve what you hope to, but I recommend trying. There are a lot of experiences and opportunities open to you.