The 26th Catholic Art Awards Winners... Father Kim Injung and Artist Kim Hyejin

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] Father Kim Injung Pedro (Dominican Order) and artist Kim Hyejin were selected for the Special Award and Recommended Work Award, respectively, at the 26th Catholic Art Awards hosted by the Korean Catholic Bishops' Conference Culture and Arts Committee.

The Catholic Art Awards were established in 1995 to support the localization and revitalization of Korean Catholic sacred art, while also honoring contributions within the church and cultural history. Outstanding recent works by active artists are selected and awarded in various categories.

Untitled 110mm×118mm, oil on canvas, 2004, by Father Kim Injung [Photo by Korean Catholic Bishops' Conference Committee on Culture and Arts]

Father Kim Injung, the recipient of the Special Award given to talented artists regardless of category, received the jury's comment that his work "offers us deep emotion through abstract expression that is unique and modern, freedom beyond form, and primal beauty."

The Way to the Lord (Saint Kim Dae-geon Andrea) 62x37x87cm, sandstone, Boryeong Oseok, Gyeongju stone (technique: stone carving), 2021, by Kim Hye-jin
Photo by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea Cultural and Arts Committee

Kim Hyejin, the recipient of the Recommended Work Award for young artists, was praised for "taking the human figure as the subject and expressing the inherent color and characteristics of stone materials with a modern sensibility."

No Grand Prize winner, awarded to artists with significant contributions worthy of being a model, was selected this year.

The award ceremony is held annually around February 18, the feast day of Blessed Fra Angelico, the patron saint of artists. This year, it will take place at 3 p.m. on February 17 at the Korean Catholic Central Council in Junggok-dong, Seoul. The exhibition of the winning works will be held in line with the regular exhibition schedule of the Korean Catholic Artists Association, organized by the Catholic Artists Association of the Cheongju Diocese.