Hana Kwon
Hana Kwon (Korean: 권하나; born 1990) is a South Korean visual artist and illustrator. Through her alter-ego character Nana, she records emotions, memories, and the process of growth, conveying stories of comfort and empathy. Her works frequently feature everyday objects such as bread, cookies, and fruit to express warm memories and feelings that anyone might have experienced. She works across painting, illustration, and spatial projects, and operates the creative project NANALAND, where art, storytelling, desserts, and space come together.[1]
Early life and education
Hana Kwon was born in South Korea in 1990. She attended Yewon School of Arts from 2003 to 2006, before moving to the United States in 2006 to continue her education. After completing high school in the United States, she enrolled at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California in 2010, majoring in Illustration Design. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in 2014, after which she returned to South Korea.[2]
Career
After returning to South Korea, Kwon developed her artistic practice centered on her alter-ego character Nana. Nana is both a projection of the artist herself and a reflection of her ideals — a character who records the emotions, memories, and daily life of the artist. Through Nana, Kwon tells stories of comfort, empathy, imagination, and memory, expanding her artistic universe through painting, illustration, and spatial projects.[3]
She has exhibited at major international art fairs including KIAF Seoul, Art Busan, Maddox Gallery London, K11 MUSEA Hong Kong, Art Taipei, Art Jakarta, and Art Tokyo.[4] She has also collaborated with global brands including Samsung Electronics and Chaumet.[5]
Exhibitions
Solo exhibitions
| Year | Title | Venue | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | SELF CONTROL | UNC Gallery | Seoul, South Korea |
| 2023 | Nostalgia | PBG | Seoul, South Korea |
| 2023 | PARTY WITH HANA | — | Seoul, South Korea |
| 2024 | Temptation | — | Tokyo, Japan |
| 2024 | Temptation | — | Seoul, South Korea |
Group exhibitions (selected)
| Year | Title | Venue | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Yewon School 50th Anniversary Exhibition | Seoul Arts Center | Seoul, South Korea |
| 2021 | Daegu Art Fair | — | Daegu, South Korea |
| 2022 | Galleries Art Fair | — | Seoul, South Korea |
| 2022 | EXODUS | Gallery Ascend | Hong Kong |
| 2022 | ART BUSAN 2022 | BEXCO | Busan, South Korea |
| 2022 | Aligning the Stars | Art Chosun Space | Seoul, South Korea |
| 2022 | KIAF SEOUL 2022 | COEX | Seoul, South Korea[6] |
| 2022 | Kawaii | Maddox Gallery | London, United Kingdom |
| 2023 | ART BUSAN 2023 | BEXCO | Busan, South Korea |
| 2023 | FUTURE Figments | K11 MUSEA | Hong Kong |
| 2023 | Art Pick | Art Chosun | Seoul, South Korea |
| 2023 | The Moon Party | PBG | Seoul, South Korea |
| 2023 | KIAF | — | Seoul, South Korea |
| 2024 | New Work | PBG | Seoul, South Korea |
| 2024 | Temptation (solo) | SH Gallery | Seoul, South Korea[7] |
| 2024 | KIAF | SH Gallery | Seoul, South Korea[8] |
| 2024 | Art Taipei | Theo Gallery | Taipei, Taiwan |
| 2024 | Art Jakarta | Theo Gallery | Jakarta, Indonesia |
| 2025 | Art Tokyo | SH Gallery | Tokyo, Japan[9] |
| 2025 | KIAF | SH Gallery | Seoul, South Korea |
| 2025 | Art Taipei | Theo Gallery | Taipei, Taiwan |
| 2025 | Holiday Together | Shinsegae Department Store | Seoul, South Korea[10] |
Commercial projects
| Year | Project | Partner |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Jewelry art collaboration | Chaumet, Seoul |
| 2024 | MUSIC FRAME Artist Collaboration | Samsung Electronics[11] |
NANALAND
NANALAND is a creative project conceived by Hana Kwon to bring together the elements that have inspired her — drawing, reading, baking, and walking — into a single space.[12] Located along the Dasan Fortress Wall trail (다산성곽길) in Seoul, NANALAND is a combined gallery, café, and art shop where visitors can view original artworks alongside desserts baked by the artist herself, art prints, and character goods. NANALAND aims to be a warm, welcoming space where anyone can comfortably enjoy art and take a moment to rest.
The character Nana
Nana is a fictional character created by Hana Kwon as her artistic alter-ego. The name derives from the Korean phrase Na-neun Na-ya (나는 나야), meaning "I am me", and was created to record the artist's emotions, memories, and life stories.[13] Nana appears in artworks alongside food, desserts, books, travel, and imagination, recording the emotions and memories of everyday life. The character is interpreted both as a projection of the artist herself and as a reflection of her ideals.
Artistic philosophy
Kwon records emotions, memories, and moments of life through her paintings. She captures joy and sadness, excitement and loneliness, and the emotions and memories that fade over time, seeking to comfort both herself and others through her art.[14] Kwon believes that art begins not from grand messages but from small moments of empathy that move the human heart. She thinks that ordinary moments — a warm cup of tea, the smell of freshly baked cookies, an old picture book — can be a great comfort to someone, and this belief is reflected throughout her works, her character Nana, and NANALAND as a whole.
References
- ↑ "Interview with artist Hana Kwon". Marie Claire Korea. 2023-12-22. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "Hana Kwon artist feature". TV Chosun. 2023-07-07. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "Interview with artist Hana Kwon". Marie Claire Korea. 2023-12-22. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "KIAF artist information". KIAF. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "Samsung MUSIC FRAME Artist Collaboration". Money Today. 2024-09-09. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "KIAF artist information". KIAF. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "SH Gallery participates in KIAF 2024". Money Today. 2024-08-14. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "SH Gallery at KIAF 2024". Sports Kyunghyang. 2024-08-09. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "Hana Kwon at Art Tokyo 2025". Sports Kyunghyang. 2025-09-11. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "Shinsegae year-end exhibition Holiday Together". Econo News. 2025-12-11. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "Samsung MUSIC FRAME Artist Collaboration". Money Today. 2024-09-09. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "Hana Kwon NANALAND feature". Art in Culture. 2025-08. Retrieved 2026-06-19. Check date values in:
|date=(help) - ↑ "Interview with artist Hana Kwon". Marie Claire Korea. 2023-12-22. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "Hana Kwon NANALAND feature". Art in Culture. 2025-08. Retrieved 2026-06-19. Check date values in:
|date=(help)
External links
Category:South Korean artists Category:1990 births Category:Living people Category:Illustrators Category:Character designers Category:ArtCenter College of Design alumni
This article "Hana Kwon" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Hana Kwon. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
