A Unique Nighttime Exhibition in Suncheon for the Month of June
An Artist of Life Who Has Run the "Sarangbabcha"
A Life Spent Sharing Warm Meals with Neighbors in Need
A "Pause for the Heart" Where Art and Sharing Meet
Paintings Like a Warm Bowl of Soup, Inspiring Emotion and Reflection
An early summer night in Suncheon is imbued with a special warmth. Beginning on June 1, for one month, the unique exhibition "Haejimyeon Yeollineun Misulgwan" (The Gallery That Opens at Sunset) welcomes visitors, opening its doors only after the sun has set.
The featured artist of this exhibition is Kim Okran, a Western-style painter. She is more than just an artist; for decades, she has lived as an artist of life, running the "Sarangbabcha" (Love Meal Truck) and sharing warm meals with neighbors in need.
Also known as the mother of actress Gong Hyojin, Kim Okran delicately demonstrates through this exhibition how life, art, and service can be seamlessly intertwined through her brushwork.
The exhibition space opens not under the sunlight of day, but within a nighttime landscape illuminated by starlight and gentle lighting. Within this setting, Kim Okran's works warm the heart, much like a bowl of hot soup. The landscapes and figures depicted on her canvases are neither grand nor flashy, yet they naturally contain tranquil moments of life, the faces of neighbors, and a sense of comfort.
Kim Okran's landscapes are not mere records of nature. In the wildflowers, rice paddies, and the silent gaze of an ox she paints, fragments of memory and the texture of life are embedded. Her paintings prompt us to recall peaceful scenes from everyday life that we may have forgotten.
This exhibition, in particular, finds a natural resonance between the unique space and timing of "Haejimyeon Yeollineun Misulgwan" and the spirit of "Sarangbabcha" that Kim Okran has upheld. The exhibition hall, quietly opening after nightfall, is imbued with the calm and steadfast warmth reminiscent of the nature she depicts.
Serenity encountered in the midst of life, the weight of existence felt among people, and the solace discovered in a single bowl of rice are all captured in her landscapes.
Kim Okran accepts nature as it is, inviting viewers to find moments of pause in ordinary scenes, the wind across the fields, the shadows of earthen jars, and roses blooming beyond the wall. Her paintings do not exaggerate or overtly display emotion, but possess the power to make viewers stop and catch their breath for a moment.
The exhibition space is more than just a place to view paintings. In fact, an installation replicating the "Sarangbabcha" is on display, allowing visitors to experience firsthand the artist's life and her stories of sharing. At times, the dining table became her canvas, and the brush replaced the ladle. The thousands of bowls of rice she has shared, and the heartfelt sentiments within them, are all reflected in her art.
"Haejimyeon Yeollineun Misulgwan" is more than a simple nighttime exhibition; it is a special way of evoking deeper emotion and reflection in the darkness. Kim Okran's works shine even more brightly in the night, leaving a quiet ripple in the hearts of visitors.
There is a saying that art should resemble life. Kim Okran's exhibition embodies the true meaning of that phrase. With paintings and meals, art and service, darkness and light coming together as one, this exhibition will leave a lasting impression and warm the hearts of all who visit.
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