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Art protects art
8 out of 10
artists are shut out by banks
354
loans extended to fellow artists
95%
repayment rate — trust comes full circle
~KRW 140M
interest saved vs. predatory rates
Until the next exhibition, the next performance. For artists, income gaps are an unavoidable reality. For fellow artists forced into predatory loans just to afford paint, canvas, and studio rent, proceeds from this artwork become the Seed Fund — extending a fair hand at fair rates.
Voices of fellow artists
“The memory of going hungry for three days, alone, so my children wouldn't know.”
— 50s, theater artist
“I've been putting off urgent dental treatment because I can't afford it. I should be seeing a doctor regularly, but enduring instead of going has become a habit.”
— 50s, actor
“I kept delaying ear treatment because I had no money, and the symptoms in both ears worsened.”
— 30s, musician
“I couldn't pay my hospitalized mother's bills, so we had to delay her discharge, and she had to give up tests and treatment she needed.”
— 50s, actor/broadcaster
“Because of money troubles I had nowhere to go — drifting between gosiwon rooms and rehearsal studios, and for a while sleeping rough.”
— 30s, musician
“Because of unpaid rent, my collective was forced to vacate our shared workspace and home. Neither bank loans nor artist loans could help.”
— 50s, actor
“Without money, life collapses — and creating art? Out of the question.”
— 50s, artist
“It's painful that solving this month's money problems has to come before the work itself. As an artist, I can only earn well when the work succeeds — yet I have to chase odd jobs every month instead. It feels like being trapped in a vicious cycle.”
— 40s, musician
“Debt collection calls disrupted my rehearsals and performances, and the psychological burden made every day painful and the next day frightening.”
— 40s, theater artist
“Many times the loan payments looming each month forced me to step away from performing and focus on part-time work.”
— 50s, actor
“Sleeping less than four hours a night, juggling part-time jobs and theater — but the more I performed, the more debt piled up. Eventually I decided to quit performing.”
— 30s, actor
“When things were hardest, I couldn't even attend close friends' weddings or funerals — and as a result, relationships were severed.”
— 50s, actor/broadcaster
“When I said I was a stage actor, the loan officer called me "unemployed."”
— 50s, actor
“The shame and severed friendships that came with borrowing from people I knew, the pressure of failing to pay it back, the helplessness.”
— 50s, cartoonist/visual artist
“Even with programs meant for low-income citizens, I feel shame when I can't produce enough documentation simply because I'm an artist.”
— 30s, film/broadcasting professional
154 artworks sold, each becoming a seed of solidarity
One artwork becomes the oxygen that keeps a fellow artist creating.
Sales proceeds go to the artist mutual-aid fund.
Playground n'2
Choe Hyesu
- Category
- Painting
- Material
- Cement, faux gold leaf, wax, acrylic
- Size
- 91×72.7cm · Size 30 · Medium How big is this? →
- Year
- 2023
- Availability
- SOLD
About the Artist
Choi Hyesu is a visual artist who records questions about human existence and the meaning of life through art. Her work originates from observing and reinterpreting finite life, revealing moments of fullness and deficiency, connection and disconnection hidden within repetitive daily routines. Through this, she guides viewers to reflect on their own existence and journey, expanding contemplation on the unique calling and meaning inherent in each person's life.
Key Career Highlights
Other works by Choe Hyesu
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More Painting Artworks
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More about Choe Hyesu
Magazine
Choe Hyesu: Two Playgrounds Buried Under Gold Leaf
Visual artist Choe Hyesu trained in sculpture in Belgium. A close reading of two panels from her Playground series, where cement and imitation gold leaf bury playground equipment down to bare silhouettes.
Sep 29, 2026 · Seed Art Festival
The Craft of Gold Leaf in Korean Art — From Buddhist Paintings to Contemporary Canvases
Gold leaf is real gold beaten to 0.0001mm. Following Korea's golden grain from Goryeo Buddhist paintings to Choi Hyesu's "Playground" and Joirak's "Golden Flower."
Oct 1, 2026 · Seed Art Festival
Sculpted by Hand — Sculpture and Ceramics at SAF
Sculpture and ceramics at SAF 2026 — few in number, wide in world. From Yang Sun-yeol's roly-poly resin to Kim Ju-ho's ceramic, with a farewell to Lee Iktae (1947–2025).
Apr 20, 2026 · Seed Art FestivalRelated materials
Two beginnings made by one piece
- For you —
- One-of-a-kind in the world
- For the artist —
- the pride of standing with a peer
- For a fellow artist —
- a new ₩3,000,000 path of low-interest support
354 artists have walked this path of recovery; 95% returned to open it for the next.