As the energy and excitement of the 2012 Paralympics continues in London, a different yet likeminded kind of celebration has opened in Gyeonggi-do (Gyeonggi Province).

From August 1 to October 7, the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art in the city of Ansan is hosting an exhibit entitled “Different and Special” featuring works by 43 artists.

Different and Special, featuring works by 43 artists with disabilities from Korea, United States, and Japan, will be held at the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art until October 7. The pictured work is by Merritt Wallace of Creative Growth Art Center in Oakland, California (photo courtesy of the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art)."Different and Special," featuring works by 43 artists with disabilities from Korea, America, and Japan, will be held at the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art until October 7. The pictured work is by Merritt Wallace of Creative Growth Art Center in Oakland, California (photo courtesy of the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art).


Despite hailing from different cultural settings, namely, Korea, Japan, and the United States, the artists share in common not only a unique capacity for creative expression but also a background of developmental disability.

The over 400 works selected for “Different and Special,” the largest exhibit of works by artists with disabilities in Korea, spans a wide range of media, including paintings, drawings, sculptures, and video art.

Different and Special, featuring works by 43 artists with disabilities from Korea, United States, and Japan, will be held at the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art until October 7. Pictured are works by Korean artists Lee Seung-yun (top), Park Beom (bottom left), and Kim Do-hyeon (bottom right) (photos courtesy of the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art).Pictured are works by Korean artists Lee Seung-yun (top), Park Beom (bottom left), and Kim Do-hyeon (bottom right) (photos courtesy of the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art).


According to exhibit curator and Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art Director Choi Hyo-joon, “Different and Special” was designed on the premise that support for disabled artists can and should transition from a charity-based approach to one that seeks to foster the conditions in which artists can actively exercise their freedom of cultural expression.

With this, said Choi, it is hoped that the exhibit will play a part in helping to dismantle social prejudices about disabilities and create a space for artists with developmental disabilities to communicate with the world through their art.

Different and Special, featuring works by 43 artists with disabilities from Korea, United States, and Japan, will be held at the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art until October 7. Pictured is a work by Japanese artist Masashi Yamano (photo courtesy of the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art).Pictured is a work by Japanese artist Masashi Yamano (photo courtesy of the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art).


“Different and Special” was organized in partnership with the Able Art Center in Suwon, Rawside in Seoul, Creative Growth Art Center in Oakland, California, and Tanpopo-no-ye Foundation in Japan, all of which aim to empower artists with disabilities.

On September 20, a special forum will be held at the museum to discuss various approaches to reforming current perceptions and policies regarding the disabled and artists with disabilities.

By Kwon Jungyun
Korea.net Staff Writer