Diplomacy Journal David Kendall | On February 25 at 2:30 p.m., the 2026 Korea Masters Invitational Exhibition officially kicked off in Insadong with an awards ceremony and Hanbok fashion show. "A place where tradition and modernity, recorded history and personal memories meet," is how Chairman of the Organizing Committee Lee Jon-young described the exhibition. Lee is also publisher of Diplomacy Journal.

 

 

This description is particularly fitting for the works of calligrapher and painter Yoo Hyeon Byeong. Three distinct series by Yoo are presented in this exhibition. His ho (號)—artistic sobriquet—"Bamgugyeong" can be loosely translated into English as "One Who Gazes at the Night)." Each series captures a different dialogue between tradition, art, and the human spirit.

 

The first series consists of 48 works, reinterpreting singer Jang Sa-ik's "A Life in Song." This series opens a space of multimedia art in which music, painting, and poetry come together as one. In the second series, children's poems were rendered in calligraphy on 93 traditional folding fans, a pairing that the organizers described as a meeting of pure childhood innocence and traditional craft. Yoo was quoted as saying: "When children's poetry and our songs come together, art shines with its most human light."

 

The third series consists of 53 works on the theme of Nahan Dongja (羅漢童子—boy Buddhist disciples), inspired by the "Five Hundred Arhats of Changnyeongsa Temple Site" exhibition held by the Chuncheon National Museum in 2018–19.

 

Each work is composed by pairing an ink-brush painting of a boy monk with a photograph of one of the ancient arhat figures. Standing only approximately 30 to 40 cm tall, these figures carry from 600 to 1,000 years of history, each expressing the unique character of a distinct arhat. According to a 2021 Asian Art article introducing the 2018–19 exhibition, arhats are disciples of Buddha who have reached a level of insight into the nature of existence sufficient to achieve Nirvana, but have chosen to remain in the world to help others.

 

The childlike simplicity and deep spiritual presence of the arhat figures have made them among the most beloved artifacts in Korean Buddhist art. Yoo stated that he wished to convey the unique character of each arhat through a modern-day boy monk.

 

 

At the opening ceremony, Yoo was officially recognized as a Republic of Korea Master in the Muninseonhwa—Literary Ink Painting—category, a designation that reflects the rare integration of original poetry, calligraphy, and painting that defines his practice.

 

Hosted by the Republic of Korea Masters Exhibition Organizing Committee, the event brings together a total of 265 works representing both the essence of Korean traditional art and the spirit of contemporary creativity. The exhibition features 65 works embodying the artistic vision of 70 masters, alongside more than 200 works organized under the theme "Poetry, Song, and the Heart of a Child," presenting a multi-layered spectrum of Korean culture in a single space.

 

Two art forms serve as the conceptual pillars of the exhibition. K-Minhwa—a modern reinterpretation of traditional Korean folk painting—is establishing itself as an independent genre in the global art market, celebrated for the narrative quality of its visual language. K-Graphy, meanwhile, reclaims calligraphy under a distinctly Korean identity, moving beyond its foreign-derived terminology to emerge as a cultural brand that integrates written characters, philosophy, and spiritual expression.

 

The focal point of the opening ceremony was the K-Minhwa Hanbok fashion show presented by Jo Nang-gyeong of Goeunjalak. Hanbok infused with folk painting patterns and traditional color palettes graced both the stage and the streets of Insadong, offering international visitors a vivid encounter with what organizers called "wearable art."

 

A special citation of merit was also presented to 103-year-old brush art master Nam Sang-jun in recognition of a lifetime dedicated to preserving Korean traditional art—an occasion that went beyond a simple ceremony to publicly affirm the continuation and expansion of Korea's cultural heritage.

 

In his opening remarks, Chairman Lee Jon-young framed the event in explicitly diplomatic terms. "Culture is the dignity of a nation, and art is another language of diplomacy," he said, adding that "when K-Minhwa, K-Graphy, and K-Minhwa Hanbok come together, Korea will stand not merely as a nation of consumer culture, but as a center of spiritual culture." The statement was widely received as a declaration that K-culture represents not simply a continuation of the Korean Wave, but a restoration of national identity.

 

The exhibition runs through March 2 at the Insadong Korea Gallery on the 2F of the DaeIl Building at Insadong Gil 12. Approximately 200 artists, cultural figures, and members of the public attended the opening, each receiving a red ginseng gift set from the Damhwa Cultural Foundation as a token of appreciation.