World-Renowned Graffiti Artist Sim Chanyang Comes to Seongnam

Artist Sim Chanyang is painting.

[Asia Economy (Seongnam) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Seongnam City in Gyeonggi Province is collaborating with world-renowned graffiti artist Shim Chan-yang (stage name Royyal Dog) to present a graffiti performance under the theme "United Seongnam" in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the 8.10 Seongnam (Gwangju Daedanji) Civil Rights Movement. A graffiti artist is an artist who paints on walls or doors in public places.

Seongnam City announced on the 25th that from the 28th of this month until the 6th of next month, a large canvas (7.8m * 14m) will be set up opposite the Neoreunmot Plaza inside Seongnam City Hall, where the artwork will be created. Any Seongnam citizen can enjoy the artistic activity.

Shim Chan-yang is a graffiti artist active mainly in the United States, working in cities such as New York, LA, and San Francisco, as well as various countries around the world.

He has been recognized for his artistic expression through the unique combination of hanbok, symbolizing Korean identity, and foreign women. His representative works include Michelle Obama wearing hanbok, "The Flower Has Bloomed" painted at LA's The Container Yard, and "Hello," depicting the meeting of the North and South Korean leaders at the Blue House Sarangchae.

In particular, he has received high praise in the United States, the birthplace of graffiti, for harmoniously expressing hip-hop culture and Korean sentiment.

Shim said, "I visit Korea about once a year, and I am looking forward to this precious opportunity to work on a great wall at Seongnam City Hall. I hope this painting will be meaningful for both myself and the citizens."

Seongnam Mayor Eun Soo-mi said, "I once saw an interview with artist Shim Chan-yang where he said that the essence of graffiti is not telling someone else's story but telling your own story. I have high expectations that Shim's graffiti art will be a great gift containing the stories of Seongnam citizens on the 50th anniversary of the city's founding."