Seoul foundation showcases works by 70 artists with developmental disabilities

The Seoul Metropolitan Government's Women and Family Foundation will bring together works by artists with developmental disabilities from across the country to mark Gender Equality Week.

The foundation announced Thursday that it will hold the exhibition "Canvas for the Future, Drawn Together," along with related events, at Seoul Women's Plaza from Saturday through Sept. 29. Director Han Jem-ma is curating the show, which features 70 artists with developmental disabilities from Seoul, Busan, Daejeon, Daegu, Ulsan, South Jeolla Province, Gangwon Province and beyond.

The exhibition is designed to share a message with the public through art: that personal circumstances such as gender or disability should not become barriers to participation and growth in social and cultural life.

Taking Gender Equality Week as its starting point, the exhibition broadens the meaning of "equal opportunity and participation" beyond gender to encompass disability and other forms of difference, extending that conversation into the realm of culture and the arts.

The exhibition will present works in which artists with developmental disabilities have channeled their personal experiences, sensory perceptions and imagination. Visitors can encounter each artist's individual creative world and abilities directly through the works.

The show was organized in collaboration with "Geurim Eomma," an online community of about 1,400 members. Participating artists and their families have been expanding their creative experiences through exhibitions, education, mentoring and the exchange of information. During the event period, a session will also be held for mothers who have supported their children with disabilities in growing as artists to share their stories.

The opening ceremony will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. on the second floor of Seoul Women's Plaza. Director Han will introduce the exhibition's concept and highlight key works, and Byeon Ji-ae, chief executive of K-Artists Art Consulting, will deliver a special lecture on "art beyond disability and non-disability."

Chef Lee Dong-jun, known from the television show Culinary Class Wars, will also share stories of life with his child with a disability. A networking program will follow, giving participating artists and members of the public a chance to view the works together and talk freely.

"There are no boundaries of disability when it comes to artistic talent," director Han said. "I hope this exhibition becomes an opportunity to shine a light on the talents of artists with developmental disabilities and on the dedication of the caregivers who have supported their creative work."

"Art has the power to move people more deeply than any explanation and to shift the perspectives we have long taken for granted," said Seoul Metropolitan Government Women and Family Foundation CEO Park Jeong-suk. "I hope this becomes an opportunity for citizens to encounter the artists' abilities and creative worlds with open minds, free of prejudice."

The exhibition runs Saturday through Sept. 29 on the second floor of Seoul Women's Plaza and is free and open to the public. Details on the exhibition and related events, as well as registration information, are available on the foundation's website.