Hong Won Pyo

• Profile

  Nationality: South Korea

  Born 1974 in Korea

• CV

  Education

  • 2004 M.F.A. in Oriental Painting, Hongik University

  • 2002 B.F.A. in Oriental Painting, Dankook University

  Residency

  • 2013 Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France

  Awards & Activities

  • 2020 Commendation from the Minister of the Interior and Safety

  • 2015, 2017 Invited lecturer, Tsinghua University, Beijing

  • 2017–2020 Mentor, Tsinghua University (Mental Education Program)

  • 2017–2020 Resident Artist, Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, Jamsil Studio

  • 2015–2017 Mentor, Project A (Creative Support for Children with Disabilities)

  Exhibitions
  Solo

  • 2025 BAPAISM, Passion Gallery, Seoul

  • 2025 Happy Together Barabapa, Hyundai Department Store (Chungcheong)

  • 2024 Flying Barabapa, Ha Jung-woong Museum, Yeongam

  • 2024 Bappa Play, Gallery Now, Seoul

  • 2023 Delightful Like Barabapa, Shinsegae Gallery, Daegu

  • 2020 Trick or Trip with Barabapa, AK Gallery, Suwon

  • 2018 Look at Me, Busan Civic Center

  • 2017 The Big Hero, Seoul Innovation Park

  • 2016 Happy Barabapa, Lotte Hotel Gallery

  • 2015 Lovely Barabapa, Lotte Gallery, Ilsan

  • 2014 Heavy Barabapa, Lotte Gallery, Seoul

  Group

  • 2024

    • Pop Street 66, Museum Wave, Seoul

    • SEOUL MY SOUL in Dubai, The Agenda, Dubai

    • MOAF (Mullae Art Fair), Artfield Gallery, Seoul

    • Pop Vibe, Art Center GOMA, Gongju

    • The Quality of Pop Art, Omi Gallery, Seoul

    • Soaking into Winter, Gallery MOM, Seoul

  • 2023

    • PLAY × FUN = HAPPY, Jeonbuk Provincial Museum of Art

    • Design Dream Land: Fall in K-pop, DDP, Seoul

    • Bupyeong Auction – White Sale, Incheon

    • Leisurely Rabbit, Gana Children’s Museum

    • Eco Fashion Art Fair, Art Buddy Gallery, Seoul

    • Drawing Growing, Gimpo Art Village

    • MOAF (Mullae Art Fair), Artfield Gallery, Seoul

  • 2022

    • Myo-ryeong Exhibition, COEX, Seoul

    • Body-Artivity, Wooyang Museum, Gyeongju

    • Romantic Play, Museum Ground

    • Museum & Postbox, Gana Art Park

    • Coming Out – Me, Space Sajik

    • Blossom the Hope × World Forestry Congress, COEX

  • 2021

    • HAPPY BARAGI, Collast, Seoul

    • Fun Play, Gimpo Art Village

    • Union Art Fair (Online)

  • 2020

    • Apple in My Eyes – Fruit Fruit Museum, SOMA Museum

    • Gangwon Kids Triennale

    • Color Play, Gana Art Park

    • If You Smile, the Ball Comes, Indie Art Hall Gong

    • Flying Over White Winter, AK Gallery

    • Artist Party, A-Root, Seoul

  Collaborations

  Government agencies including Seoul Metropolitan Government, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Seoul Tourism Organization, National Heritage Administration, Busan Metropolitan City, and Ministry of Health and Welfare; and brands such as Hyundai Card, Lotte, Hanwha, SK Telecom, ING Life, Amore Pacific, SangSangIn, and Haneulbori.

  Collections

  Inspire Resort, Andaz Hotel, Samkoo Inc., GS Group, Deokgu Hot Springs, Suncheon City Library, Busan Civic Center, and others.

  Public Art

  • Seoul City Hall Station Art Wall

  • 12 Art Benches at Gangnam Station

  • Cheongdo Sinwha-Rangpung Village Art Wall

  • Two sculptural works at Jang-gyeong-ri Beach, Yeongheungdo (Incheon)

  Media Art

  • 2024 Busan City Hall Media Wall – Busan is Good

  • 2023 COEX, Seoul Media Art Week

  • 2022 Museum Ground

  • 2022 Wooyang Museum

  • 2019 Andaz Hotel Gangnam

• Artist note

  BAPAISM is a visual declaration of Hong Won-pyo’s long-standing exploration of a delightful attitude toward life.

  BAPAISM is a philosophical perspective that views life in a delightful and beautiful way—maintaining laughter even in busyness and striving to live creatively. It reflects the artist’s belief in art as play.

  Hong Won-pyo develops his practice around the delightful character “Barabapa.” Using concise lines reminiscent of black ink brushstrokes, he creates works that cross many genres.

  Since childhood, the artist loved comics composed of simple lines. After majoring in Oriental painting, he became even more devoted to line itself. He was deeply drawn to the expressive power of the deep one-stroke lines of traditional Oriental painting, which led to the development of his signature line-drawing technique.

  Based on this line-drawing method, Hong continues to expand into painting, sculpture, installation, media art, and corporate collaborations. His tightly composed live-drawing performances are one of his distinctive strengths and receive enthusiastic public response.

  Through collaborations with government agencies such as the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, National Heritage Administration, and Busan Metropolitan City—as well as companies including Hyundai Card, Lotte, Hanwha, SK Telecom, and Amorepacific—he continues to broaden his artistic world.

Work