Born in 2008, artist Jeon Yi-su published the picture book “Little Crocodile Taco” at the age of eight. He later gained nationwide attention after appearing on the SBS television program Finding Genius as a young art prodigy. Yet his artistic journey has never relied solely on the early discovery of talent. Through drawings and writing, he has consistently explored the emotions of others, quietly recording relationships, family, and the warmth of everyday life in his own language.
To date, Jeon has published 19 collections including art essay books, essays, and fairy tales. Since opening the gallery “Walking Wolves” in Jeju in 2019, he has continued presenting exhibitions under various themes each year. His paintings rarely focus on dramatic events. Instead, they linger on emotion itself. Images of people, animals, and nature breathe gently together within a single frame, while short sentences draw the emotional resonance of the artwork closer to viewers.
The exhibition “To Someone Precious, Jeon Yi-su Special Exhibition in Goyang” brings together key works from the exhibition of the same name previously held in Busan alongside recently completed new works. More than 60 original paintings, over 20 written texts by the artist, and original illustrations from the picture book “Even If I Cannot Remember Everything” will be displayed. Visitors are guided through a continuous narrative that traces Jeon’s pure perspective from his years as a child prodigy to the emotional changes he has encountered through growth and maturity.
The exhibition space at Goyang Eoullimnuri Eoullim Museum of Art is divided into two floors and organized into six sections. The first floor features 28 original works and accompanying texts by the artist. Sections including “Delicate Balance,” which reflects Jeon’s perspective on the world, “Forest of the Heart,” centered on anthropomorphic animal works, “To Someone Precious,” which directly connects to the exhibition title, and “Love,” exploring family relationships and affection, form the emotional core of the exhibition.
“Delicate Balance” serves as the starting point for understanding the way Jeon observes the world. Rather than dramatic declarations, his paintings prioritize subtle sensations. A person’s emotions, surrounding landscapes, the gaze of animals, and the expressions of family members are carefully arranged in quiet equilibrium. In “Forest of the Heart,” Jeon’s anthropomorphic animal series takes center stage. These animals are not simply charming characters. They embody unspoken feelings, hidden emotions, and the desire to reach someone else emotionally. Younger visitors may first approach the works through their visual familiarity, while adult audiences are more likely to discover the emotional depth concealed within them.
The section “To Someone Precious” most directly expresses the emotional tone of the exhibition. By placing paintings and texts side by side, the artist creates scenes that resemble letters addressed to someone important. The works encourage visitors to think about loved ones, people they miss, or individuals whose memory still brings warmth. It becomes a point where personal memories quietly connect with the exhibition itself.
The “Love” section focuses on emotions surrounding family and relationships. In Jeon’s artistic world, love is expressed less through grand declarations and more through the everyday gestures of care. The gaze that watches over someone close, the patience shared between people, and emotions conveyed without words are gently embedded within both the paintings and accompanying texts.
Original illustrations from the picture book “Even If I Cannot Remember Everything” are displayed along the pathway leading to the second floor. The book, which addresses dementia, explores emotions that remain even as memories gradually fade. The exhibition route itself becomes part of the storytelling experience, allowing visitors to move physically through the emotional flow of the picture book.
The second-floor gallery presents Jeon Yi-su’s most recent works. New pieces created during the artist’s painting journey across several European countries throughout May, along with photographs and video materials documenting his social contribution activities, are also on display. The space offers a glimpse into Jeon’s present artistic identity and the continued expansion of his creative universe.
One of the defining characteristics of the exhibition is the pairing of paintings with text. The sentences placed beside the works do not function merely as explanations. Instead, they quietly open another doorway into the artist’s way of sensing the world. Visitors naturally move back and forth between image and language, returning to the paintings after reading the words beside them.
Jeon’s paintings, marked by soft colors and spacious compositions, offer viewers a sense of emotional breathing room. They do not loudly declare sorrow or comfort. Yet the figures, animals, and sentences within the frames slowly touch the heart.
Interactive programs will also accompany the exhibition. A children’s atelier program and activities encouraging visitors to express warm messages through writing and drawing are scheduled to take place. The experience extends beyond simply viewing artworks, inviting visitors to create their own words and images in response.
Jung Hae-sun, chief curator and CEO of Ohlso Co., Ltd., said, “This exhibition was planned with the hope that visitors will reflect on the truly precious people in their lives through Jeon Yi-su’s paintings and writing, while also reconsidering the meaning and value of life itself. We hope it becomes an opportunity to experience how art can gently comfort the heart.”
“To Someone Precious, Jeon Yi-su Special Exhibition in Goyang” will run from June 6 through October 4 at Eoullim Museum of Art inside Goyang Eoullimnuri in Gyeonggi Province.
Reported by News Culture M.J._mj94070777@nc.press
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