Mother builds creative workspace in Yangpyeong after discovering daughter's talent

After recognizing artistic talent in her daughter Jung Eun-hye, a mother established a Yangpyeong community in 2021 where 20 young people with developmental disabilities now create and exhibit approximately 520 paintings.

There is a space where 20 young people with developmental disabilities gather to continue their artistic labor. Established in Yangpyeong in 2021, this workplace is a community where young people who love drawing gather to create and exhibit their works. As reported by TV CHOSUN STAR, this space functions as more than just a place to draw; it serves as a location where members recover their right to self-determination by choosing their own colors and filling surfaces.

"I only saw her as a person with a disability": A mother's late realization

The background of this space contains the anguish and reflection experienced by the mother of actress Jung Eun-hye. Her mother confessed that although she took pride in loving her daughter deeply in the past, she had failed to properly look into her daughter's desires or talents. It remained in her heart for a long time that she had viewed Jung Eun-hye merely as a "person with a disability" until she discovered the lines of painter Egon Schiele in the drawings her daughter made around the age of twenty-three.

After confirming her daughter's talent, the mother's attitude changed. She led her daughter, who had been staying at home and struggling both physically and mentally, out into the world by offering her a job. The mother worked to prepare an environment where her daughter's talent could be utilized, which served as the catalyst for Jung Eun-hye to begin coloring work in 2019 and embark on full-scale creative activities.

520 worlds created by a community, colors chosen by themselves

Currently, approximately 520 paintings completed by members, including artist Jung Eun-hye, are on display here. These works show a different pattern than when individuals work alone in their rooms. This is because, while working together within the community, they go through a process of confirming the results themselves using the colors and surfaces they have chosen. This process allows them to enjoy complete freedom and self-determination, at least on a single sheet of paper.

During the working process, differences of opinion sometimes arise between the artist and her mother. When the mother offers advice regarding the placement of a drawing or the method of brushstrokes, Jung Eun-hye sometimes shows resistance, feeling that her territory has been invaded. However, the mother accepts these reactions from the artist positively. This is because the artist expressing her own subjectivity through such reactions is itself evidence of change.

The daily lives of young people connected through art

In this art community in Yangpyeong, various young artists, including Jung Eun-hye, live together and continue their creative activities. The community is formed by individuals with diverse personalities, such as artists who love heroes from comics and games, and an artist who plays the role of the youngest member, including Yoo Jae-seok. The belief that working together within a community can last longer than working alone is the strength that sustains their workplace.

Source: TVCHOSUN JOY (YouTube)