Illustrator Wooh Na Young, also known by her pen name "Obsidian," has caught the eyes of people around the world with her distinctive style of reinterpreting Western characters in hanbok, Korean traditional clothing. Combining her training in both traditional style of Asian painting and game design, her illustrations have become a viral sensation and a unique way of promoting the beauty of hanbok.
Meet the illustrator who has captivated the fans of Disney princesses and Marvel heroes by mixing the traditional elegance of hanbok with a modern twist.
New Narratives in Korea: Illustrator Wooh Na Young
Tuesday, June 29, 2021
The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Wooh Na Young a.k.a. Obsidian [Heuk Yo Suk] is an illustrator who works on digital drawing of characters wearing hanbok (Korean traditional clothing). Drawings from her series Western Fairy Tales in Korea were included in various exhibitions in Europe, the U.S., and Korea. She has also collaborated with several global companies, including Disney, Marvel, Johnnie Walker, and Blizzard Entertainment, for their marketing campaigns. In 2019, Wooh received an award from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for her effort to popularize and familiarize hanbok, and her book The Story of Hanbok was published in Korea. She received her B.A. in Asian Art from Ehwa Womans University.
