"Her painterly fundamentals are exceptionally solid, and she possesses a firm sense of direction that is uniquely her own. She demonstrates outstanding ability to deliver clear messages through highly visible visual language, and shows powerful capacity to absorb the traditional medium of painting with a contemporary sensibility."
This is how the panel of judges evaluated Kim Joo-hee, the recipient of the top "Cheon (天)" award at the 2026 edition of "CHUNMAN ART for YOUNG," a contemporary art talent development project run by Samchully Group's Chunman Cultural Foundation. The panel, comprised of domestic and international experts including Alvin Li, curator at Tate Modern in London, Charlotte Knaup, curator at Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin, and Choi Binna, artistic director of the Korean Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale, selected 33 final recipients.
The "2026 Chunman Art for Young" award exhibition, now in its fourth year, runs through June 14 at Nodeul Gallery 1 on Nodeul Island in Ichon-dong, Yongsan-gu. The open call, held from October last year to January this year, drew 856 applicants across all visual arts disciplines including painting, sculpture, installation, new media, and design, marking a competitive ratio of 25.9 to 1. As the Chunman Cultural Foundation supports the entire process of artistic development through professional critique, prize money for outstanding artists, and exhibition opportunities, the prestige of the competition has grown each year. A total of 33 artists received scholarships and exhibition opportunities, including top-prize "Cheon (天)" winner Kim Joo-hee, "Ji (地)" winners Yoo Do-won and Lim Dong-hyun, "Hae (海)" winners Shin Mok-ya, Ha Ji-min, and Cho Eun-si, and 27 "In (人)" award recipients.
The exhibition is significant in that it not only offers an early glimpse of next-generation promising artists but also shares the concerns and zeitgeist of contemporary young artists. Visitors can vote to select one Popular Choice Award recipient among the participating artists, who will receive an additional scholarship.
This year's award exhibition has been expanded in scale. Nine "Alumni" artists, drawn from past Chunman Art for Young winners, joined to broaden the exhibition's spectrum. Kang Ji-soo, Kwon Young-jae, Kim Tae-hoon, Nam Kyung-jin, Woo Soo-bin, Yoo Seok-geun, Lee Yoon-jae, Jung Joo-won, and Ha Min-seok presented the deepened artistic worlds they have developed since their awards. This reflects the foundation's intent to support artists' continued growth rather than limiting recognition to a one-time award.
The Chunman Cultural Foundation was launched in 1987 as the Chunman Scholarship Foundation, embodying the love of literature and the arts of the late Lee Cheon-deuk, the eldest son of Samchully Group founder the late Chairman Lee Jang-gyun, as well as the philosophy of valuing talent and practicing love and sharing held by his second son, Lee Man-deuk, the current chairman of Samchully Group. Over roughly 40 years, the foundation has supported around 3,500 scholarship recipients, and it has recently expanded its scope into culture and the arts, relaunching as the Chunman Cultural Foundation. The foundation also sponsored "Liberation Space: Fortress and Nest," the Korean Pavilion exhibition at this year's Venice Biennale, contributing to the international expansion of Korean contemporary art.
