Korean illustrator Wooh Nayoung, also known by her nickname "Obsidian," has achieved global recognition by reinterpreting characters from fairytales such as "Alice in Wonderland," "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" and "Frozen" with an East Asian aesthetic through illustrations of the characters wearing Hanbok (traditional Korean costumes). In this interview, she says why she pursued her unique illustrative style and how Hanbok changed her life.
How did you get started in illustration?
- Since I was young, I've liked painting and drawing, which led me to major in Oriental art at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. After graduating in 2001, I worked as a pixel artist for the online game company Nexon. I later grew fascinated by 3D graphics after they started making waves in online gaming. I decided to pursue another path since I thought pixel artists lacked positive prospects.
So I tried to become a concept artist, but it wasn't easy. I always felt pressure to draw "something," and that made me lose interest even in painting. Looking back, I'm grateful for those hard times because they provided me the opportunity to think about my interests and what I wanted to do. When I found myself lost over what I liked, I tried to do whatever inspired me, and suddenly, I ran into Hanbok.
I was watching a Korean historical TV drama and suddenly fell in love with the clothes every cast member wore. This is how I started discovering the charms of Hanbok and figuring out how to express its beauty. My personal favorite element is the unique line Hanbok has, and I wanted to present it to the audience.
Furthermore, I wanted to create stories expressing the hidden gems of Hanbok. As I'm fond of fairytales and Disney animation, I decided on a collaboration with the two things that I loved. I decided to try a crossover of Oriental art and digital art skills that I learned throughout my career. This kind of mashup is unique when looking at my works. All of my projects are about recreating objects and stories with the techniques I acquired.
What work do you consider especially important in your career?
- "Alice in Wonderland" is the most meaningful piece. I worked on it while at Nexon. It took me around six months to complete the drawing and it made me think about creating my own style. This project was the result of constant self-examination and the journey of figuring out the originality of my paintings. Fortunately, "Alice" created a buzz and a sensation when I released it online. This project has provided many opportunities for me to collaborate with prestigious brands.
Did anything special occur during your project?
- A Korean American messaged me that she loved to play princess when she was young, but felt that skin color was a barrier and so she stopped. She said she was so moved when she saw my fairytale princess series online, adding that she would tell her daughter to "don't stop imagining." I was moved by her story and her feelings toward my art.
For more information: Korea.net
*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter (Dayviana Diaz from Cuba). Photo credit: Wooh Nayoung.
