The Korean Cultural Centre Canada presents <The Self Within Collective>, an exhibition featuring works by CHOI, Sejin and YOON, Sangyoon. Through painting, the exhibition explores how an individual is continuously shaped within collective structures, revealing the complex relationship between personal consciousness and social influence. Exhibition Details - Dates: March 12 – June 12, 2026 -  Venue: Korean Cultural Centre Canada (150 Elgin Street, Ottawa, ON) -  Artists’ Talk: March 12, 2026, 5 PM (ET) - Opening Reception: March 12, 2026, 6 PM (ET) <The Self Within Collective> explores how an individual is shaped within a collective through the works of CHOI, Sejin and YOON, Sangyoon. Both artists depict how personal consciousness is deeply intertwined with social influence, though each approaches this theme from a different perspective. CHOI examines how social conditioning and shared rituals leave traces on the body. In her familiar scenes of a school activity day, anonymous children participate in group activities. While the actions appear playful, they carry subtle traces of discipline, competition, and the pressure to conform. CHOI’s work highlights how repeated gestures and coordinated movements within a collective setting shape individual behaviour and memory, showing that the social body cannot be separated from personal experience. YOON turns inward to explore the interaction between the psyche and the social world. He utilizes tripartite vertical composition: the submerged unconscious id, the figures at the surface representing the ego, and the figure above embodying the superego, internalized social norms and expectations. He portrays the constant negotiation between inner desire and external control, showing how the self forms at the intersection of personal impulses and collective pressures. Both artists navigate the tension between the individual and the collective through different approaches. One traces the social influence imprinted on the body, while the other maps the psychological structures shaped. Together, their works show that individual nature is never fixed but continuously formed and reformed at the intersection of memory, emotion, and social influence. <The Self Within Collective> invites viewers to reflect on how the groups and structures we inhabit shape our actions, memories, and identities, and to consider the interplay between personal consciousness and collective experience. CHOI, Sejin 최세진 CHOI, Sejin graduated from the Department of Painting at Ewha Womans University in Korea. Her practice centers on painting and drawing. Using children’s perspectives and play, she metaphorically explores patterns that emerge from society’s collective inertia and relational structures imprinted on individuals. She focuses on how norms, gazes, and roles operate within collective cultures, investigating narratives that arise from an individual’s existence, relationships, and roles within each group. CHOI, Sejin, Unfolding the Parachute, 194x130cm, oil on canvas, 2018 YOON, Sangyoon 윤상윤 YOON, Sangyoon graduated from the Department of Painting at Chugye University for the Arts and completed an MA in Fine Art at Chelsea College of Art and Design in the UK. His painting practice observes the sensations of “territory” and “gaps,” and the tensions between the individual and the collective. He has held solo exhibitions in New York and Shanghai, and participated in numerous exhibitions in Korea as well as international projects, including Art Central Hong Kong and exhibitions in Beijing and Suzhou, China. YOON, Sangyoon, Tea for Two, 162x130cm, oil on canvas, 2023

Beauty of Korea Blooming with Light: Jinju Silk Lanterns The Korean Cultural Centre Canada presents <Lights of Korea: Jinju Silk Lanterns> in Ottawa, in collaboration with the City of Jinju. This exhibition is part of the Touring K-Arts Project, supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and administered by the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE). It showcases the graceful and shimmering radiance of Jinju’s signature silk lanterns, offering audiences a unique glimpse into Korea’s aesthetic sensibilities. Located in Gyeongsangnam-do, Jinju has long been a major centre of sericulture in Korea, cultivating a rich heritage of silk craftsmanship. Jinju silk lantern art, inspired by this century-old tradition and the iconic Jinju Namgang Yudeung Lantern Festival, has become a distinctive cultural symbol of the city.  This exhibition offers Ottawa audiences a rare opportunity to experience the vivid colours and refined artistry of Jinju silk lanterns. Exhibition Details - Exhibition: Lights of Korea: Jinju Silk Lanterns - Dates: December 23, 2025 – February 27, 2026 - Venue: Korean Cultural Centre Canada (150 Elgin St #101, Ottawa, ON K2P 1L4)

The Korean Cultural Centre Canada (KCC) and the Seoul Museum of Craft Art (SeMoCA) are pleased to present the special touring exhibition <The Drawings of Mother-of-Pearl Inlay Artisans>, on view from Thursday, October 23 to Friday, December 12, 2025. This exhibition is organized as part of the Touring K-Arts Project, supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and administered by the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE). Focusing on the theme of “Mother-of-Pearl through Drawings,” the exhibition highlights najeon designs, the drawings that serve as blueprints for the intricate patterns created by cutting and inlaying pieces of shell. Featuring more than 100 works, it brings together rare designs and masterpieces by master artisans of the modern era alongside new creations by contemporary artists, offering a unique perspective on the enduring beauty and innovation of Korean mother-of-pearl lacquerware. Exhibition Details - Exhibition: The Drawings of Mother-of-Pearl Inlay Artisans - Dates: October 23 – December 12, 2025 - Venue: Korean Cultural Centre Canada (150 Elgin St #101, Ottawa, ON K2P 1L4) - Opening Reception: October 23, 2025, 17:30 (ET) * No registration is required. - Featured Artists: JEON Seong-gyu, KIM Bong-ryong, SONG Joo-an, SHIM Bu-gil, MIN Jong-tae, KIM Tae-hee, KIM Sung-soo, SONG Bang-ung, LEE Hyeong-man, SOHN Dae-hyeon, CHOI Sang-hoon, KIM Seol The Drawings of Mother-of-Pearl Inlay Artisans <The Drawings of Mother-of-Pearl Inlay Artisans> highlights the work of six Najeonjang (master artisans of mother-of-pearl inlay)—JEON Seong-gyu, who led modernization of the Najeon (mother-of-pearl) art, and KIM Bong-ryong, SONG Joo-an, SHIM Bu-gil, MIN Jong-tae, and KIM Tae-hee, who were influenced by JEON but developed their own distinct style, by focusing on the Doan (圖案, drawings). Najeonchilgi (mother-of-pearl lacquerware) is a Korean traditional craft that has continued for over a thousand years since Goryeo period. It involves inlaying thinly sliced abalone or turban shell onto surfaces of objects, completed through repeated coatings of Ottchil (lacquer in Korean). The doan functions not only as a blueprint for laying out designs but also as a vital component that shapes the visual language of the work. More than a design, it embodies cultural knowledge, aesthetic ideals, and symbolism of the time, while also revealing each artist’s philosophy, sensibility, and lived experiences. Until the early 20th century, artisans used an unsophisticated form of doan. Starting from the 1920’s, artisans began to use more modern methods—drawing doan on paper, then using them as templates for applying mother-of-pearl inlays. This led to greater efficiency and mass production, marking a turning point in modernizing the craft. The exhibition introduces the artisans who pioneered these changes and presents works by the next-generation artisans, who carry on the tradition today. From doan to the finished objects, we invite you to take a close look at the masters’ challenges, experimentation, and the enduring spirit of craftsmanship embedded in their creative making process. JUNG Eun-joo, Curator, Seoul Museum of Craft Art

Presented in connection with the KCC exhibition <The Drawings of Mother-of-Pearl Inlay Artisans>  The Korean Cultural Centre Canada, in collaboration with the Seoul Museum of Craft Art, is pleased to present a hands-on craft program, <Treasure Box of the Najeonjang>. This program introduces the history and techniques of traditional Korean najeon (mother-of-pearl inlay) craft. Participants will learn about its cultural significance, create their own treasure box using genuine mother-of-pearl, and experience the refined beauty of this centuries-old craft tradition. Program Details * Dates & Time - Session 1: Monday, October 27, 2025 – 6:00 PM - Session 2: Tuesday, October 28, 2025 – 2:00 PM * Venue: Korean Cultural Centre Canada (150 Elgin St #101, Ottawa, ON K2P 1L4) * Capacity: 30 participants per session * Registration - Register for Session 1: https://forms.gle/v3M2Wsoq2gwEoSMP7 (Oct 27, 6:00 PM) - Register for Session 2: https://forms.gle/hkVQzP3jJfTcEVsV8 (Oct 28, 2:00 PM) * Admission: Free (Pre-registration required; limited spots available) * Note: The workshops on October 27 and 28 are identical programs. Each participant may register for only one session. Duplicate registrations may be cancelled. This program is organized as part of the Touring K-Arts Project, supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and administered by the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE).

K-Comics World The Korean Cultural Centre Canada (KCC), in partnership with the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), will present the exhibition <K-Comics World> from September 16 to October 15, 2025. This exhibition showcases the unique narratives of Korean webtoons through engaging visual displays and interactive experiences, featuring <My Daughter is a Zombie> by artist LEE Yun-chang and <Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint>, based on the popular web novel by singNsong, adapted by UMI and illustrated by Sleepy-C. <My Daughter is a Zombie> offers a heartwarming and humorous story of paternal love that persists even in the midst of a zombie virus outbreak, ultimately conveying universal themes of family and humanity. <Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint> has captivated global audiences with its imaginative world where reality and fiction intersect along with its unique premise in which readers themselves intervene in the story. Beyond presenting webtoons as stories to read, the exhibition highlights major episodes from the two featured works, offers a dedicated photo zone, and explores how webtoons are reimagined and expanded into film, games, and other media. Through this, <K-Comics World> sheds light on both the present and the future of the Korean content industry, while offering audiences an opportunity to experience how webtoons serve as a bridge to contemporary Korean culture and global communication. Exhibition Details - Exhibition: K-Comics World -  Dates: September 16 – October 15, 2025 - Venue: Korean Cultural Centre Canada (150 Elgin St #101, Ottawa, ON K2P 1L4) - Opening Reception: September 16, 2025, at 17:00 (ET) No registration required - Featured Works: My Daughter is a Zombie (LEE Yun-chang), Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint (Sleepy-C /UMI / singNsong)