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Lee Gi-hun

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Born 1980, age 44 / Danyang-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea
Occupation Artist
Language Korean
Genre Picture books
Notable works Tin Bear, Big Fish, Egg, 09:47

Lee Gi-hun(Korean: 이기훈; born 1980) is a South Korean picture book author. “Lee” is his last name.

His picture books go back and forth between imagination and reality, powered by a robust imagination.[1] He was selected as a 2010 Bologna International Children's Book Fair Illustrator of the Year, along with a special mention.  In 2012, he published his first picture book, Tin Bear, and won the BIB Children's Jury Award in 2013.

Life

Lee Gi-hun was born in Danyang-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do, on September 13, 1980. His childhood was spent among nature in the countryside, but he moved to Jecheon in his teens and experienced difficulty adapting to city life. His dream of becoming a picture book author was inspired by the wordless picture books of Gabrielle Vincent, David Wiesner, and Shaun Tan, which he came across in the early 2000s. He embarked on a career as an illustrator with Rani (2012). His best-known works include Tin Bear(2012), Big Fish(2014), Egg(2016), and 09 :47(2021). With Tin Bear, which he drew for fun while working as an illustrator, he was selected as one of the illustrators of the year (Mentioned as a Selected Illustrator) at the Bologna International Children's Book Fair in 2010, and the work was published in 2012 with the encouragement of Rejam Publishing. Currently, he lives in the city of Jecheon, Chungcheongbuk-do, with his wife and three children, and continues to work on wordless picture books.

Career

Lee made his debut with Tin Bear, published in 2012. He started attracting attention with his selection as an illustrator of the year at the Bologna International Children's Book Fair in 2010. Tin Bear(2012) won the 2013 BIB Children's Jury Award. 09:47(2021) was submitted to the 2023 BIB as the entry representing Korea. Lee participated in the 2023 Bologna International Children's Book Fair as the illustrator representing the Korean Pavilion. During the fair, he presented live painting sessions[2] and showcased his work process via author interviews. Lee keeps in touch with his readers through various activities such as lectures and exhibitions.

Style

Lee Gi-hun tries to seize every opportunity to convey to his readers the joy of shattering the conventional notion that books should be composed of text.[3] He is an author who creates picture books that tell a story through images unaccompanied by words. His narratives are forged through painstakingly detailed illustrations rendered with watercolors and pens. He focuses on stories that straddle the boundary between imagination and reality, founded on an exotic imagination. Tin Bear(2012) tells the story of a bear trying to protect the city made of tin after it reaches the end of development, whereas Big Fish(2014) narrates the legend of a mysterious fish in a land ravaged by drought. He continues experimenting with his picture books, always trying out unconventional story structures. Protecting the global environment is an important theme for Lee; he has completed the “Desire Trilogy” that pits human desire against nature with Tin Bear(2012), Big Fish(2014), and 09:47(2021).

Awards

  • 2013 Tin Bear Children's Jury Prize, Biennial of Illustration Bratislava (BIB)[4]
  • 2010 Tin Bear Mention as a Selected Illustrator, Bologna Children's Book Fair (BCBF)
  • 2010 Tin Bear Selected Illustrator, Bologna Children's Book Fair (BCBF)

Works

Lee has said in interviews that he hopes his picture books will prompt readers to see familiar things with new eyes, and experience the fun and pleasure of novelty.[5] This approach is well reflected in his work, which encourages one to consider conventions from new perspectives through new imaginative experiences.

Collaboration with other authors

  • 2012 Rani, written by Park Deok-kyu, illustrated by Lee Gi-hun, Rejam

Activities

Lee keeps in touch with his readers through various activities such as lectures and exhibitions.

  • 2023 WONDER: Wordless Picture Books by 7 Artists from South Korea,[6] Brisbane Writers Festival,[7] Exhibition and Interview[8]
  • 2023 Lee Gi-hun Live Painting and Picture Book Seminar,[9] Bologna Children's Book Fair
  • 2022 Interview with Picture Book Author Lee Gi-hun,[10] Busan Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA)
  • 2022 Exhibition of Original Artwork from Lee Gi-hun's Picture Books, Book Talk[11] and Live Painting[12] by Lee Gi-hun, Busan Library
  • 2015 Exhibition of Picture Book Tin Bear, Guadalajara International Book Fair[13]
  • 2013 Exhibition of BIB Children's Jury Prize Winner Tin Bear, Biennial of Illustration Bratislava[14]
  • 2009 Exhibition of Selected Illustrator of the Year's Tin Bear, Bologna Children's Book Fair[15]

References

  1. ^ "K-Book Trends -". www.kbook-eng.or.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  2. ^ Fiere, Bologna. "2023 Event Programme". Bologna Children bookfair. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  3. ^ [풀버전] 그림책 읽어보실래요? KBS 다큐공작소 20230215, retrieved 2023-09-02
  4. ^ admin (2016-06-08). "Mednarodni bienale ilustracije Bratislava, 2013" (in Slovenian). Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  5. ^ 책그림 하이라이트 ① 이기훈, retrieved 2023-09-02
  6. ^ "The Power of Art to Explore Global Issues". Brisbane Writers Festival. 2023-05-10. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  7. ^ "Gihun Lee". Brisbane Writers Festival. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  8. ^ "인터뷰: '글 없는 그림책' 작가 이기훈, "우리 모두 글 없는 그림책 세상 속에서 태어나서 자라…"". SBS Language (in Korean). Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  9. ^ Fiere, Bologna. "2023 Event Programme". Bologna Children bookfair. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  10. ^ 책그림 하이라이트 ① 이기훈, retrieved 2023-09-02
  11. ^ [부산도서관] 이기훈 작가 북토크, retrieved 2023-09-02
  12. ^ [부산도서관 원화전시]이기훈작가 라이브페인팅 영상1, retrieved 2023-09-02
  13. ^ "Guadalajara International Book Fair". www.fil.com.mx. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  14. ^ "bibiana.sk". www.bibiana.sk. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  15. ^ Fiere, Bologna. "Bologna Children's Book Fair, 8-11 April 2024". Bologna Children bookfair. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
  1. https://www.kbook-eng.or.kr/sub/info.php?ptype=viewandidx=883andpage=$pageandcode=info, K-books, December 6, 2021
  2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-rRLPve6iY, KBS Documentary, December 17, 2023
  3. http://www.dlul-drustvo.si/2014/11/19/mednarodni-bienale-ilustracije-bratislava-2013/ , Ljubljana Society of Fine Arts, November 19, 2014
  4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fFWgAxuUHU, Busan MoCA, interview, January 11, 2022
  5. https://bwf.org.au/2023/word-play/the-power-of-art-to-explore-global-issues, Brisbane Writers Festival
  6. https://www.sbs.com.au/korean/korean/podcast-episode/wordless-picture-bok-rticst-rehun/ ZohrksiH9X8_MK6QOR2UMYZBG9W0R6BOHGECYAK63PGZQ-P5CGZX26N8 , SBS Interview, May 10, 2023
  7. https://bwf.org.au/artists/gihun-lee-1, Brisbane Writers Festival
  8. https://www.bolognachildrensbookfair.com/en/events/event-programme/10951.html?event_filtro=9, Bologna Children's Book Fair
  9. https://www.fil.com.mx/ingles/, Guadalajara International Book Fair
  10. https://www.bibiana.sk/en, Biennial of Illustration Bratislava
  11. https://www.bolognachildrensbookfair.com/en/home/878.html, Bologna Children's Book Fair
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