Gunsan Modern History Museum 'Kim Sunhwa Solo Exhibition'... Until October 13

"Memory Journey Made with Discarded Golden Apples"

22 'Upcycling' Works Blended with Hanji Craftsmanship

"When I realized the true value of discarded waste, trash became a golden apple to me."

Kim Sunhwa's solo exhibition 'A Memory Journey Made with Discarded Golden Apples' will be held from the 27th to October 13th at the Gunsan Modern History Museum Citizen Open Gallery.

This exhibition features 22 'upcycling' works that uniquely combine discarded waste materials and traditional Korean hanji paper to depict Gunsan's tourist attractions and landscapes through paintings and sculptures.

Gunsan Modern History Museum 'Kim Sunhwa Solo Exhibition'... Until October 13

From September 27 to October 13, Kim Sunhwa's solo exhibition "A Memory Journey Made with Discarded Golden Apples" will be held at the Citizens' Open Gallery of the Gunsan Modern History Museum in Jeonbuk.
[Photo by Gunsan City]

Artist Kim passionately pursues creative work in hanji crafts and upcycling by collecting discarded waste and transforming its physical properties. In this exhibition, visitors can encounter purely original works using objects such as plastic, egg cartons, jeans, and coffee grounds.

The artist confessed, "I am one of those who use and discard many things in the name of art, causing harm to the Earth." She added, "Feeling guilty about these actions, I searched for ways to recycle discarded waste as resources and discovered that combining hanji with waste materials works well."

Her works mainly contain memories of Gunsan and her childhood. The artist's studio is located in the Gunsan Modern History Street. It is a place frequently visited by many tourists, mostly people in their mid-50s and older. She often heard that those who had endured difficult times in life came to Gunsan to feel nostalgia.

Kim explained, "I wanted to introduce Gunsan to them through the golden apples I discovered and make their memory journey happier with works expressing childhood landscapes," revealing the reason for the exhibition.

'Upcycling' refers to adding artistic design to previously discarded items. It goes beyond simple recycling to recreate products with new value.

Kim Sunhwa currently serves as the chairperson of the Pureun Seed Cooperative. She boasts a brilliant record of awards, including the Encouragement Award for Junk Art & Upcycling at the Korea Environment Love Contest, the President's Award of the Korea Traditional Craft Industry Promotion Association at the Korea Craft Competition, and the Bronze Prize at the Jeollabuk-do Craft Competition.

A museum official stated, "This exhibition introduces Gunsan through a new method called upcycling," and added, "We hope visitors will enjoy a special experience of appreciating the excellence of our traditional hanji together with modern culture."

Meanwhile, the Citizen Open Gallery is an open space established to support the artistic activities of local artists. Exhibition artists are selected annually through an open call. Selected artists receive exhibition space and promotional material production support.