“Losing one’s sense of curiosity and the will to discover something new is even scarier than the unknown”
A mysterious portrait of modern women
The women Jang Koal paints are quiet and surreal. They’re comfortable with the subtle weirdness that surrounds them. Inspired by personal memories, the portraits also become alter egos – fantasy versions of the artist herself. This sense of dreaminess is cultivated in the vivid colour palette. Koal carefully blends the tones together, mixing different types of paint and pigment. She then applies this to hanji, a traditional Korean paper, that gives the paintings a translucent effect. That artist also ventures into sculpture, creating resin busts. Historically, these were sculptural portraits o...
Bio
Jang Koal (she/her) was born in 1989 in Ulsan, South Korea. She now lives and works in Seoul, South Korea.
Early Influences
Since childhood, Jang Koal has had a passion for drawing. Growing up with her grandparents, she often visited Buddhist temples. She was transfixed by the art she saw inside them. These early inspirations still echo throughout her practice today.
Education
Koal is a self-taught artist who has never done any formal art training. She did, however, study animation in high school. After graduating, she moved to Seoul in 2007 to pursue a career in art.
