Songpa-gu's 'Gallery for All' Invites You to Meet Artist Kang Hye-jeong

Songpa-gu will transform the community hall inside the Oryun-dong Community Service Center into an art gallery — dubbed "Gallery for All" — on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Oryun-dong is made up largely of large apartment complexes, leaving residents with few chances to meet their neighbors. Many have expressed a desire to see quality artwork up close, but the community hall's regular class offerings have grown repetitive, leaving something to be desired.

In response, Oryun-dong developed "Gallery for All" by building on the resident art exhibition it has held over the past two years at the Oryun-dong Sharing Festival. The gallery was selected through the Seoul Metropolitan Government's regional community self-governance project competition, making it the first such initiative among the district's 27 neighborhoods.

The exhibition is a collaboration between the Oryun-dong Residents' Autonomous Committee and the Songpa Artists' Association. Themed "Eunoia: Beautiful Thoughts in Everyday Life," it aims to offer a moment of calm amid the rhythms of daily routine. Admission is free and open to all ages.

The featured artist is Kang Hye-jeong, known for her iljilhwa — a style of ink painting completed in a single brushstroke without reloading the brush. A member of the Songpa Artists' Association, Kang won the grand prize at the 2016 KPAM Korea Art Festival, an award presented by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and took the gold prize at the 2024 Hong Kong Asia Art Biennale. Earlier this year, she also participated in a special exhibition by the Songpa Artists' Association at Songpa District Art Museum's The Gallery Hosu.

The exhibition features 14 works in total, including a monumental No. 500-scale canvas measuring 227.3 by 360.3 centimeters — a scale rarely seen even in major galleries.

On the opening day Tuesday, Kang will personally lead two docent sessions for 40 Oryun-dong residents. Ten spots have been reserved for culturally underserved neighbors, including elderly residents living alone, giving those who rarely have access to arts and culture a chance to participate.

Songpa-gu District Mayor Seo Gang-seok said he hopes "Gallery for All" will serve as a place where residents connect over their shared interest in art. "We will continue to bring a wider range of cultural and artistic experiences to every corner of Songpa, right where residents live," he said.