Name: Gazing at Obong
Brand: SAF Online
Price: 2000000 KRW
Availability: InStock

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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

63 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.

Authenticity

Limited edition

What "edition" means →

CategoryPrintmakingMaterialTBD Size43×70cm · Size 20 · Medium How big is this? →Price₩2,000,000

Full collecting guide →

About the Artist

Ryu Yeonbok was born in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, studied in Seoul, and entered the world of Minjung (People's) Art in earnest when he enrolled at Hongik University's College of Fine Arts in 1977. His simple belief that 'beauty should be enjoyed by many' became the driving force behind founding the Seoul Art Community upon his graduation in 1984 and leading the mural movement through the mural team 'Shipjangsaeng.' In 1985, he organized the 'Eulchuk Year Art Grand Festival,' a marketplace-style event where ordinary people could purchase artworks for as little as 5,000 won. In 1986, he was involved in the exhibition The Power of the Twenties in Korean Art, which was shut down by police. In 1989, prior to Lim Su-kyung's visit to North Korea, he traveled to the United States to create large-scale banner paintings and prints to send to the North. Woodblock printing is a medium characterized by relatively easy production and virtually unlimited reproduction. These qualities were of great importance to Minjung Art artists, who aimed not only for the public to view art but also to create it themselves, opposing the exclusive enjoyment of art by a wealthy elite. Consequently, printmaking became highly prevalent during the 1980s under the influence of the people's movement, and woodblock printing was particularly welcomed for its connection to tradition. Ryu Yeonbok skillfully brought out the rough texture of the chisel inherent in woodblock printing, expressing a harmonious balance of dynamic figures and backgrounds within simple compositions.

About this work

〈Gazing at Obong〉 is a Printmaking work by Ryu Yeonbok. measuring 43x70cm. Available as an original Korean contemporary artwork at SAF Online.

Key Career Highlights

Education
1984 B.F.A., Department of Painting, College of Fine Arts, Hongik University

Professional Affiliations
1985 Representative, Seoul Art Community
1987 Member, Mural Painting Group Hwalhwasan
1991 Secretary General, National Art Council
1992 Director of External Cooperation, Korean National Artists Association
1995-1998 Woodcut Print Instructor, Hankyoreh Culture Center
2004-2006 Co-Representative, Anseong Stream Restoration Citizens' Group
2004- Co-Chair, Green Anseong 21

Exhibitions
1983 Ryu Yeon-bok, Park Jong-won, Shin Jin-sik, Third Art Museum
1984 Art of Life Exhibition, Third Art Museum, Gwanhun Gallery, Arab Gallery
1985 Eulchuk Year Art Grand Festival, Arab Gallery
1985 Representative Works of 1980s National Art Exhibition, Hanaro Gallery
1985 Korean Art: The Power of the 20s Exhibition, Arab Gallery
1986 Fresh Statements by Young Generations, Geurim Madang Min
1986 Korean Minjung Print Exhibition, Osaka
1986 JALLA Exhibition - Minjung of Asia, Tokyo
1986-1990 Unification Exhibition, Geurim Madang Min
1987 Satire and Humor Exhibition, Geurim Madang Min
1987 Anti-Torture Exhibition, Geurim Madang Min
1987 Korean Minjung Print Exhibition, Geurim Madang Min
1988 Korean Minjung Print Exhibition, Seoul, Jeonju, London
1988 JALLA Exhibition - Wind Blowing Through Asia, Tokyo
1988 Korean Minjung Art Exhibition, Hirakata
1988 Korean Minjung Print Collection Exhibition, Geurim Madang Min
1989 Ryu Yeon-bok Minjung Print Exhibition, SPARC Gallery, LACC University, Chicago Hankyoreh Branch
1989 Minjung Print Exhibition, USA
1990 Education Field Exhibition, Geurim Madang Min
1990 Farmers' Art Exhibition, Yonsei University Baekyang-ro
1990 Gwangju, Oh May!, Geurim Madang Min
2000 Ryu Yeon-bok's Life Exhibition, Gongpyeong Art Center, Art Center Mano
2003 Bongcheon-dong Naum House - Building a World Together Fundraiser Exhibition
2004 Ryu Yeon-bok: Standing on This Ground, Insa Art Center
2004 Ryu Yeon-bok Woodcut Print Exhibition, Anseong Civic Center
2004 Centennial of Korean Immigration to America Commemorative Print Invitational Homecoming Exhibition - The Breath of Korea, Boksagol Culture Center Boksagol Gallery
2004 People Who Draw on Wood, Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation Exhibition Hall
2004 Eommoe, Mt. Moak Exhibition, Jeonbuk Museum of Art
2005 Red Blossom: Northeast Asian 3-Nation Contemporary Woodcut Print Special Exhibition - Korean Ancient Prints, Ilmin Museum of Art
2005 Meeting Art, We Go to Anseong, Alternative Art Space Sonamu
2007 The Power of Spirit That Awakens Existence, Gapyeong Gail Museum of Art
2009 Solo Exhibition, Jain Zeno Gallery