Jung Eun Hye with her 'Our Blues' colleagues; Jung Eun Hye welcoming Brazilian visitors at the inauguration of the exhibition; Popular Brazilian singer Supla with a fan at Jung Eun Hye's exhibition.

From October 13, 2024, to February 28, 2025, the Korean Cultural Center in Brazil is hosting the exhibition "Amazing Grace Across the Globe" featuring works by South Korean artist Jung Eun Hye. The exhibition includes 70 pieces, showcasing caricatures of animals and people.

Jung Eun Hye visited Brazil for the first time to inaugurate the exhibition and was interviewed by several local newspapers about her experience. Here are some highlights from her interview with the Brazilian news site UOL:

At what age did you start drawing?

I was 23 years old, and even though I was an adult, I didn’t have many hobbies. I spent my days in my room, wrapped in a blanket, just knitting. My mother, worried about my situation, offered me 300,000 won to help clean her studio. I accepted and would go there to clean the floors and organize everything after the kids finished painting. Over time, I started sitting next to them and drawing as well. Once, I drew a foreign model unwrapping a perfume I had seen in a magazine, and my mother was surprised. That was on February 27, 2013. From then on, I began to dedicate myself seriously to drawing faces.

Your works are very original, and this originality is something all artists aspire to. How would you describe your painting style?

I love lines and personal relationships. My works, which are almost untouched by traditional art, are more sincere and intuitive than those of professional and experienced artists. I work with freehand lines, without sketches, which naturally connects to the relationships I perceive, resulting in what I call "relational lines."

What are your main influences and inspirations?

People inspire me. I enjoy when people ask me, “Please draw me beautifully.” I draw to fulfill the promise I make to those who commission my works because I am an artist. Everyone is different, yet at the same time, they are all the same. There are no ugly faces in the world.

Could you tell us about your experience acting in the successful drama "Our Blues"? Do you have plans to act again?

I am really grateful to the writer Noh Hee-kyung, who trusted me and cast me in the role. I practiced many lines with actress Han Ji-min and didn’t think about the camera. You could say it’s a natural talent (laughs)? Everyone on the team supported me a lot, and on the last day of filming, as a way to thank them, I drew the faces of about 70 crew members and gave them as gifts. After the drama aired, I really felt the popularity. Everywhere I go, people recognize me and ask to take photos with me. Here in Brazil, I have also been recognized, which is truly amazing and rewarding. If the opportunity arises, it would be great to act again, but for now, I haven't received any offers. As an artist, I’m currently dedicating myself intensely to painting.

What did you think of Brazil? Many artists say they draw a lot of inspiration from here.

I came from the other side of the world, and it took me 30 hours to arrive. I imagined it would be very hot, but to my surprise, it was cool and pleasant. I loved experiencing the diversity of people here, as everyone seems so kind. The flowers and trees lining the streets are beautiful, and seeing the murals on the walls and buildings made me realize that art is truly part of Brazilian daily life.

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Jung Eun Hye

About the Artist

Born in 1990, Jung Eun Hye is a talented South Korean caricaturist with Down syndrome. She is internationally recognized for her role as Lee Young-hui in the Netflix K-drama “Love and Other Dramas.” Since the summer of 2016, Jung has been creating caricatures at the Munhori River Market in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, sharing heartfelt stories with thousands of visitors. Between 2019 and 2020, she was a resident artist at the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, where she began to seriously focus on painting. Her most representative work is the self-portrait titled “Your Face, Eun Hye” (in Korean, 니얼굴 은혜씨).

About the Exhibition “Amazing Grace Across the Globe”

- Date: October 13, 2024, to February 28, 2025

- Opening Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 10 AM to 6:30 PM; Sunday, 11 AM to 5 PM

- Location: Korean Cultural Center in Brazil

- Address: Av. Paulista, 460. Ground Floor. Bela Vista, São Paulo/SP

- Age Range: All ages

- Admission: Free

Further information here: https://brazil.korean-culture.org/pt/438/board/183/read/132539