Hallyu Stars of K-Drama and K-Pop will show their artistic side at StART art fair, London

This October you’ll be able to see artwork from Ohnim (Mino from WINNER), actor/model Kang Hui, actor/writer Shinyang Park, and webtoon artist /reality TV star Kian84. All these Hallyu stars will be exhibiting their work at StART art fair London 2022 at Saatchi Gallery.

Artists Ohnim and Yooyeon at exhibitor booth ‘The Ten’ looking at Kenta Cobayashi’s Reflex Ginza Panorama

Now in its 9th year, StART art fair has become known for bringing the work of lesser-known artistic communities to an art collecting public. Held annually at London’s iconic Saatchi Gallery, StART fills all three floors of the gallery with a mix of curated projects, gallery presentations and independent artist exhibitors.

StART founders David and Serenella Ciclitira have been showing Korean contemporary art as part of the mix since 2009, staging international exhibitions of new Korean work through a programme called The Global Eye. It is thanks to this programme that artists such as Boomoon, Lee Hyungkoo, Meekyoung Shin and Dong Yoo Kim, practitioners who were then relatively unknown outside Korea, have gone on to have significant international careers.

It is in this spirit of showcasing young and emerging artists and championing new talent that StART London will include work by celebrities of the K-Wave. Hot on the heels of exhibiting at the first StART Seoul (1-6 September) - a partnership between StART and Jason Lee - the following artists, all of whom have established careers in the entertainment field , will be appearing at StART London this October: Ohnim (aka Mino of K-Pop sensation band WINNER @realllllmino), actor / model Kang Hui (@kanghui_), actor and writer Shinyang Park (@park_shinyang), and webtoon artist and reality TV star Kian84 (@khmnim1513).

Visitors flocked to London’s Saatchi Gallery for the first showing of Ohnim, Yooyeon and Kang Hui’s work at StART London 2021. A year on, the artistic practice of this young trio has visibly evolved, as David Ciclitira says “Nurturing artists’ careers is what we are all about. It has been incredible to watch these talented individuals developing their very distinctive aesthetic and we are proud to have been able to platform their work alongside that of other more established artists from around the world both online and in gallery spaces. We awarded Ohnim the Visual Culture Global Eye Award 2021 in recognition of remarkable trans-disciplinary creativity. A superlatively talented individual, whose poignant work communicates, through simple, bold forms, the struggle to have real interpersonal relationships and human touch in today’s world. Watch this space for what he and his peers will produce next.”

StART Art Fair will be at Saatchi Gallery in London from 12th to 16th October - Get your tickets here.