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Kate (Kiyoung) Nam is an artist with a mission to introduce Korean heritage paintings to the modern society and to transform the traditional art form to communicate with today's audience.  Her artworks kept the color tone of traditional Korean paintings such as color pigment, but their subjects may represent modern lifestyle.  While her artworks may have traditional look and feel, they attempt to fuse or contrast in some cases with today's evolving cultures and values.  She is currently a chief operating officer at kbean.com, an open and transparent marketplace for digital artworks.  Before co-founding kbean.com, she was a president of RAAM Partners LLC, providing business development consulting services in art, design and living product industry.  Prior to RAAM Partners, she served Korea division of Royal Copenhagen as a CEO.  Her notable curation and exhibitions include Asian Heritage exhibition at Federal Reserve Bank of New York. 

She holds a Minhwa teaching certification from Gahoe museum. 

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Exhibitions

Gwangjoo Design Biennale, Gwangjoo (2009)

Kim Ree Aa Gallery, Seoul (2012)

Gana Art Center, Seoul (2016)

Il Hyund Gallery, Yang Yang (2018)

Federal Reserve Bank of New York (2018)

Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in San Francisco (2020)



Awards

Excellent Prize - Korean Association of Traditional Fork Art (2012)

Korean Association of Traditional Fork Art (2013, 2014)

Dae-Gal Modern Minhwa contest (2015)

Kim Sat Got Culture Festival (2016)

Dae-Gal Modern Minhwa contest (2018)

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I started my artistic journey in 2009 as attainting Korean folk art.  Soon became an unyielding desire to myself to explore the inner mechanism of my creative consciousness.

The folk art may not associate itself with artistic rarity, but the hidden message and communication through the design, symbols, and patterns are priceless beauty.  I capture the same principle. “Art that speaks as part of the lifestyle today.”  While I keep traditional objects such as peony, butterfly, fish, peach, and book as they formed my cultural background, I have transformed or reinvented the design, symbols, colors and patterns to reflect today’s living. Whereas the starting point was Korean traditional art, my art is a highly-personal reflection of myself.

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News

Updates & Interviews

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Keum Eun Hoi Exhibition Opens
at Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in San Francisco 

July 20 ~ September 30, 2020

This exhibition introduce Korean folk art in two very different perspectives while driving a single message, "Happiness@Home" by combining and contrasting innovative technology and physical arts. 
Curated by Kate Nam
Technology provided by Kbean.com

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The Art of Minhwa

October 1, 2020

As the part of the 2nd Chuseok festival by the Korean Center, Inc., Kate has presented the story of Minhwa (Korean folk art), symbols and workshop.

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New Year Painting "Sehwa" 

February 15, 2021

Happy new year! The lunar new year falls on February 12 in 2021. Kate presents the "Sehwa" and drawing of guardian tiger. The video is produced by Oakland Asian Culture Center  and the Korean Center Inc.

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Library Collection

The Library collection is about reflections of yourself as library is a place where you can look back while learning from others.  Objects in library collection are not only the collection of books but also that of precious things you cherish and find your own serenity.

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Prosperity and Love 

The flower, Peony has been a symbol of a Queen representing royal, dignity, prosperity, and love.  If you wish to have prosperity, wealth, and many children, the painting of fruits with lots of seeds such as pomegrante, watermelon or grape may speak to you. 

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Calligraphy with Story

Regardless of one's cultural heritage, all of us were influenced by good moral values in some forms.  Confucianism that influenced the most of east Asia emphasized eight principles that we could related.  They are filial piety, brotherly love, loyalty, trust, courtesy, righteousness, integrity and sensitivity.   Each letter in Chinese calligraphy itself is an art, and these paintings incorporated objects, plants, flowers and animals to created more interesting stories.

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Guardian

A guardian angel, the protector, may be gentle, kind and warm.  Whereas, many people in Asia believe that a guardian angel has a fierce face of human, animal or monster in order to repel evil and protect them.

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Contact

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