Artist Kim So-sun captures the spirit of a powerful red horse galloping through space, in anticipation of the Year of the Red Horse in 2026. [Photo = Reporter Lim Yo-hee] 

A solo exhibition by Kim So-sun is being held from the 16th to the 28th at Gwanghwamun Gallery Naeil (Representative Park Su-hyun) in Jongno-gu, Seoul, as part of the 2026 New Year's Special Exhibition. 

Artist Kim So-sun has been unfolding a world of imaginative play using animals from traditional Korean folk paintings (minhwa) as subjects. His artwork transcends mere imagination, possessing the power to transport viewers to a realm beyond reality, much like the fables of Aesop.

The artist is well-known for his work featuring tigers, earning him the nickname 'Tiger Artist'. His tigers are depicted as friendly and as free-spirited as those in folk paintings, reminiscent of children.

In addition to tigers, the artist also presents works featuring the zodiac animal of the year, depending on the year.

This year, in anticipation of the 2026 Year of the Red Horse, he has captured the spirit of a powerful red horse galloping through space on canvas.

'Ascension of Goguryeo' (left) and 'White Rooster Tiger'. 

A solo exhibition by Kim So-sun is being held from the 16th to the 28th at Gwanghwamun Gallery Naeil (Representative Park Su-hyun) in Jongno-gu, Seoul, as part of the 2026 New Year's Special Exhibition. [Photo = Reporter Lim Yo-hee]

In addition to these, the exhibition also features his representative works with themes of tigers and magpies, as well as several paintings depicting dogs and cats.

Kim So-sun, an alumnus of Seoul National University's College of Fine Arts (class of '63), began painting minhwa at the age of 60. For over 20 years, he has been presenting reinterpretations of tigers, magpies, and Goguryeo tomb murals. He has gained significant renown for his work that fuses traditional minhwa with Western oil painting techniques, making it accessible to a global audience.

Reporter Lim Yo-hee