In conversation with Youngju Joung
“Home to me means my hometown – it is warm, full of humanity, and symbolises safety and abundance.”
- Youngju Joung

Youngju Joung.
Youngju Joung’s paintings stand out for their quietness. They don’t so much shout as glow – quite literally in many cases, as the shanty village landscapes flicker with the golden light emanating from the windows of homes that stretch out into the horizon.
Though she now lives in Seoul, the South Korean artist is inspired by memories of her childhood town. A subject she would draw from a young age, capturing the sprawling urban scenes, it was on returning from Paris, where she studied Fine Art as a young adult, that she was enamoured once again. She returned home where she climbed Nam Mountain and saw the downtown of Seoul, lit at dusk. Combining this image of Seoul with the images of home from her mind, she now continues to create her unique cityscapes, stretching out beyond view with single storey homes and speckled with flickering lights that hint at a dense yet unseen human presence.
While her paintings are rooted in her remembered experiences, they are also symbolic of Korean society. The city or the hill village reflect poverty and affluence. The artful illumination of these spaces imbues the painted narrow streets, reclining walls and aged rooftops with authenticity; these spaces feel inherently lived-in, as if you could inhabit them yourself.
As much as these paintings are peacefully enchanting, they are also technically so unique. Youngju Joung creates her paintings by first crumpling and unfolding a traditional Korean paper called hanji, which is often used in homes to absorb warmth. By creasing, scratching and wrinkling the paper, the artist evokes a way of life that feels authentically dilapidated, used and reused; and yet it retains a distinctly warm and peaceful atmosphere. The medium itself has endured a wearing process, just as the buildings it presents.
These paintings do not beautify or exaggerate, they are honest representations of exposed bricks, slate rooftops and rusted gates. These homes are reflections of their humble occupants, dimly lit and ageing, we are absorbed into this world at a fleeting moment of natural beauty before darkness descends. At the centre of this peaceful transition lies a sacred domestic routine, where each light represents a life, faintly glowing amongst the hum of the living city.
Your exhibition at Almine Rech is titled Way Back Home – where was home for you as a child?
When I was young, my home was in the outskirts of Seoul. I was born in 1970 and Korea was poor at that time. Like the scenery in my painting, there were many shanty villages, side by side mixed with tile-roofed houses. That was where I was born. The villagers shared their affection, grew close, and lived hard. It was not a famous place, but a village where ordinary people lived together.
And is there an emotional feeling that to you defines the idea of ‘home’?
Home to me means my hometown – it is warm, full of humanity, and symbolises safety and abundance.

Installation view of Youngju Joung, 'Way Back Home', Almine Rech, London, 2024 / © Youngju Joung - Courtesy of the Artist and Almine Rech - Photo: Melissa Castro Duarte.
Some of your landscapes have a particular-coloured hue. Is there a reason behind these choices?
The colours are visually expressing the emotions I feel in each work. This also depends on the time, and the feel of the season.
Your most recent paintings are full of golden light. Is there a spiritual element to this? How long have you incorporated this feature and why is it important to you?
Gold is a colour that has been used for many reasons in the past, and was used here as a way to brighten the shabby shack with an element of hope. At one point when I was having a hard time, I looked at the shanty house and it looked like me. I wanted to give myself hope, so I started drawing on the subject of the shanty town in this way and drew light as a symbol of warm comfort and hope.
Please can you describe how you use hanji paper in your works? What is the process you employ and is there a deeper significance to why you use it (rather than any other type of paper, for example)?
My skills in using hanji have evolved little by little from 2008 to now. Hanji has the characteristic of absorbing light and emitting warmth, which is in line with the meaning of my work. I sketch on a canvas, crumple and unfold Korean paper on each side, cut it, paste it, carve it with a knife to make it one by one, dry it, and paint over the top.

Youngju Joung, Way back home 917, 2024. Acrylic and hanji paper on canvas. 181.8 x 227.3cm / 71 1/2 x 89 1/2in © Youngju Joung - Courtesy of the Artist and Almine Rech. Photo: Hongsuk Kim.
And is there a reason why you never portray figures in your work?
People are like home to me. Because home is people for me. So each house represents the person himself.
How do you see your practice developing in the near future? What would be your dream project?
I plan to draw a landscape incorporating nature – with the idea that nature will also disappear, just like my hometown is disappearing. Of course, I will continue to use Korean paper…and the techniques will continue to evolve and change. Because I always like to study and explore.

Installation view of Youngju Joung, 'Way Back Home', Almine Rech, London, 2024 / © Youngju Joung - Courtesy of the Artist and Almine Rech - Photo: Melissa Castro Duarte.
And a quick fire 5:
Any upcoming projects of note that you can discuss?
We are considering a solo exhibition and museum exhibition in New York.
What have been the most rewarding moments of your career thus far?
When people say they are comforted by my paintings.
What’s the best advice you have ever received?
Don’t lose your warmth.
What do you love about London?
London is a place where the past and the present come together well. This is a very enviable point.
‘Way back home’ by Young ju Joung runs at Almine Reach London until 21 December 2024. alminerech.com
Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley lives and works between Berlin and London. Working predominantly in animation, sound, performance and video game development, and with a background in DIY print media and activism, the artist’s practice focuses on intertwining lived experience with fiction to imaginatively retell and archive the stories of Black Trans people…
Aaron Wright is a curator of contemporary performing arts, originally from the Midlands, and currently serves as Head of Performance & Dance at London’s Southbank Centre, a role he took on in 2023. Alongside his work at the Southbank Centre, he runs the queer performance club night Knickerbocker at The Yard Theatre in Hackney Wick…
Dr Lana Locke, Senior Lecturer at Camberwell College of Arts, University of the Arts London, is a multidisciplinary visual artist whose work spans sculpture, painting, drawing, video, and performance. Self-taught for over a decade before gaining postgraduate qualifications, Lana’s practice focuses on sustainability, materiality, and community engagement…
Judith Clark is a curator and fashion exhibition-maker, and currently Professor of Fashion and Museology at the University of the Arts London. She lectures on the MA Fashion Curation and is a founding Director of the Centre for Fashion Curation. From 1997 to 2002, she ran London’s first experimental fashion gallery in Notting Hill…
Lindokuhle Sobekwa is a South African photographer from Katlehong, Johannesburg. Since his first exhibition in 2013, his work on social issues and personal histories—like his photo essay Nyaope—has gained international recognition. A member of Magnum Photos, Sobekwa was recently awarded the 2025 Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize for his project I carry Her Photo with Me…
Sol Bailey Barker is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores the connections between ecology, mythology, and speculative futures. Through sculpture, sound, and installations, they blend ancient knowledge with emerging technologies to examine humanity’s relationship with the natural world…
Hanna Salomonsson is a London based Swedish ceramic artist. Following a career in landscape architecture, she re-trained in ceramics in 2018. She also holds a BA in Art History, and this combined with her landscape grounding provides a unique vantage point for her ceramic practice…
Lewis Walker is a London-born queer, non-binary movement artist. A former Great Britain gymnast and Acrobatic Gymnastics World Champion, they trained from age 6 to 21 before earning a degree in Contemporary Dance. Their work spans theatre, film, fashion, music, and the commercial sector. Walker continues to choreograph gymnastics competition routines for the Great Britain, Italian and French national teams…
Daniel is a curator-producer dedicated to the social impact of the arts and cross-sector collaboration. He is currently Creative Director & Chief Executive of Old Diorama Arts Centre (ODAC) in Euston, where he has strengthened the centre’s community connections amidst urban transformation…
Peter Bellerby is the founder of Bellerby & Co. Globemakers, a company renowned for its exquisite hand-crafted globes. Established in 2010, the company specialises in meticulously designed pieces that showcase exceptional craftsmanship, positioning Bellerby & Co. as a leader in the globe-making industry…
Gabriele Beveridge is known for her sculptural and conceptual practice that combines materials as diverse as hand-blown glass, photo chemicals, and found images…
Robyn Orlin is a South African dancer and choreographer born in Johannesburg. Nicknamed in South Africa "a permanent irritation", she is well known for reflecting the difficult and complex realities in her country. Robyn integrates different media into her work (text, video, plastic arts) to she investigates a certain theatrical reality which has enabled her to find her unique choreographic vocabulary…
Katrina Palmer, an artist known for exploring materiality, absence, and dislocation, recently spoke to us following her year-long residency at the National Gallery about her exhibition The Touch Report…
Enej Gala is an artist who splits his time primarily between London and his hometown of Nova Gorica, Slovenia. A graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice and the Royal Academy Schools (2023), Gala first gained our attention with Neighbour’s Harvest, an installation that cleverly combined puppetry and conceptual art…
David Ottone is a Founding Member of Award-winning Spanish theatre company Yllana and has been the Artistic Director of the company since 1991. David has created and directed many theatrical productions which have been seen by more than two million spectators across 44 countries…
Darren Appiagyei is a London-based woodturner whose practice embraces the intrinsic beauty of wood, including its knots, cracks, bark, and grain. Highly inspired by Ghanaian wood carving, Darren explores raw textures and new woods in his work…
Huimin Zhang is an artist specialising in 22K gold, known for her innovative craftsmanship. She combines various cultural techniques, including filigree, engraving, and European gold and silver thread embroidery, to create unique works…
Akinola Davies Jr. is a BAFTA-nominated British-Nigerian filmmaker, artist, and storyteller whose work explores identity, community, and cultural heritage. Straddling both West Africa and the UK, his films examine the impact of colonial history while championing indigenous narratives. As part of the global diaspora, he seeks to highlight the often overlooked stories of Black life across these two worlds.
Hannah Drakeford is a London-based interior designer known for her bold and colourful interiors. She transitioned from a 21-year retail design career to interior design, and has gained popularity on social media where she now shares creative upcycling tutorials and encourages individuality in home decor…
Shula Carter is an East London-based creative with a background in contemporary, ballet, and modern dance. She trained at the Vestry School of Dance and later at LMA London, where she developed skills in commercial, hip hop, and tap dance, alongside stage and screen performance…
Dian Joy is a British-Nigerian interdisciplinary artist whose work delves into the intersections of identity, digital culture, and the fluid boundaries between truth and fiction. Her practice is rooted in examining how narratives evolve and shape perceptions, particularly in the digital age.
Dian Joy is a British-Nigerian interdisciplinary artist whose work delves into the intersections of identity, digital culture, and the fluid boundaries between truth and fiction. Her practice is rooted in examining how narratives evolve and shape perceptions, particularly in the digital age.
John-Paul Pryor is a prominent figure in London’s creative scene, known for his work as an arts writer, creative director, editor, and songwriter for the acclaimed art-rock band The Sirens of Titan…
Jim Murray is an actor, director, conservationist and artist known for Masters of Air (2024) and The Crown (2016). Murray first came to prominence as an artist in 2023 with his acclaimed inaugural exhibition In Flow, where his dynamic abstract paintings were hung in conversation with John Constable’s The Dark Sid…
Anthony Daley is an abstract expressionist painter known for his vibrant, large-scale works that explore beauty through intense colour and light. His art bridges the past and present, drawing inspiration from the Old Masters as well as diverse sources like literature, science, poetry, and nature.
Rachel Kneebone’s work explores the relationship between the body and states of being such as movement, stasis, and renewal. Through her porcelain sculptures, she examines transformation and metamorphosis, reflecting on what it means to inhabit the body and be alive…
Saff Williams is the Curatorial Director at Brookfield Properties, bringing over fifteen years of experience in the arts sector…
Sam Borkson and Arturo Sandoval III, the acclaimed LA-based artists behind the renowned collective "FriendsWithYou," are the creative minds behind "Little Cloud World," now on display in Covent Garden. During their recent visit to London, we had the privilege of speaking with them about their creative process and the inspiration behind this captivating project.
Kinnari Saraiya is a London-based Indian artist, curator, and researcher whose work focuses on trans-altern and post-humanist ideas from the Global South. She is currently a curator at Somerset House and has held positions at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Frieze Art Fair, and Bowes Museum....
Fusing her Asian roots with a fascination for African pattern work and her deep passion for architectural geometry, Halima’s work is intense yet playful, structured yet creative; substantial yet dynamic and invariably compelling in its originality.

Frieze London 2025 returns to Regent’s Park with a dynamic mix of emerging and established galleries, reaffirming the city’s creative pulse. Highlights include Esther Schipper’s dreamlike works by Sarah Buckner, Gagosian’s vibrant installation by Lauren Halsey, and Pace’s meditative paintings by William Monk. From Do Ho Suh’s ethereal fabric architectures at Lehmann Maupin…
Paris launches into its own spectacular celebration of art each October, transforming the city into a hub for collectors, curators, and cultural enthusiasts. From the grandeur of Art Basel Paris at the newly renovated Grand Palais to the focused energy of Paris Internationale, OFFSCREEN, AKAA and Menart, each fair contributes something unique to the city’s vibrant art scene.
British Ceramics Biennial is back and better than ever. Running until 19 October 2025, the dynamic programme of free exhibitions, screenings, talks and events is proving a hit with both locals and critics…and just an hour and a half’s train away from London, it’s well worth a day trip…
Echoes of Migration is the flagship summit to launch new not-for-profit platform Art Voyage this autumn. Echoes of Migration officially inaugurates Art Voyage’s innovative, itinerant cultural programme…and gears us up for what is in store for the Art Voyage Biennial….
Betty Ogundipe (b. 2001) is a multidisciplinary artist of Nigerian heritage whose work explores resilience, femininity, and the power of love and resistance. Her debut solo exhibition, LOVE/FIGHT at Tache Gallery…
The V&A’s Marie Antoinette Style, sponsored by Manolo Blahnik, is being hailed as the first landmark exhibition in the UK devoted to France’s most infamous Queen of Fashion. It is a glittering journey through silk, flamboyance and legacy….
Malta is fast becoming one of the Mediterranean’s hottest destinations, offering sun-soaked beaches into October, a thriving arts and culture scene, and stunning architecture and landscapes…
This October in London offers everything from Frieze and the BFI Film Festival to Peggy Gou, the London Literature Festival, and Halloween at Kew.
Discover the best restaurants in Malta, where to eat, drink and enjoy authentic Maltese food and Michelin-star dining…
From The Phoenicia Hotel and Iniala Harbour House, Valletta showcases some of Malta’s finest hotels, ranging from landmark luxury where royalty once danced to boutique hideaways filled with Maltese art…
October is the month for art in London, thanks to Frieze and several other art fairs taking place across the city. There will be a significant programme of shows across the capital’s galleries and institutions. Notable openings include Cosima von Bonin’s Upstairs Downstairs at Raven Row, examining 35 years of work through objects, characters, and early pieces unseen for more than a decade; Wolfgang Tillmans’ Build From Here at Maureen Paley, and Arthur Jafa’s first exhibition at Sadie Coles HQ…
This week in London, explore modern and contemporary art at the British Art Fair, experience couture drama with LACRIMA at the Barbican, celebrate heritage at the Chelsea History Festival, enjoy a decade of dance with Acosta Danza at Sadler’s Wells, and step into Shakespeare’s world with Hamlet at the National Theatre…
With just 100 days to go until Christmas, London’s West End is preparing for the festive season. Carnaby Street and Covent Garden have confirmed their 2025 Christmas lights switch-on dates, signalling the start of celebrations across the capital…
Ladbroke Hall has been a fixture in Notting Hill since 1903, when it opened as the Clément-Talbot car showroom, Britain’s first purpose-built car factory. Designed to resemble an English country house, the building has since served a variety of roles, from producing military vehicles during the First World War to housing Thames Television in the 1980…
An essential guide to Ibiza, from modern art at MACE and Museo Puget, to cliffside dining at Amante and farm to table dining at Juntos House, iconic nightlife at Pacha and Ushuaïa, and serene luxury at Soho Farmhouse Ibiza…
Ibiza’s nightlife is truly legendary, known worldwide as the ultimate playground for party-goers. For decades, the island has attracted the very best international DJs and music lovers from across the globe. Here is our guide to seven of the best clubs to visit in Ibiza, starting with the absolute giants and working down to gems like Chinois…
Discover the best of London this weekend! From landmark exhibitions such as Marie Antoinette Style at the V&A and Material World at Kew Gardens, to live music and a curry festival on Brick Lane…
Pollini at Ladbroke Hall showcases Chef Emanuele Pollini’s take on classic Italian cuisine within a dining room that fuses art, architecture, and natural light. From delicate handmade pastas to inventive desserts…
The British Fashion Council (BFC) has unveiled its City Wide Celebration (CWC) programme for London Fashion Week (LFW), taking place from 12 to 27 September 2025. Offering over 1,000 public experiences across the capital, the programme brings fashion to the public through exhibitions, talks, pop-ups, and interactive events…
Ibiza is an island where food is as central to the experience as its beaches, sunsets, and nightlife. Dining here is never rushed, it’s long lunches by the sea, sunset feasts with a cocktail in hand, and candlelit dinners in historic or stylish settings…
A new Banksy mural has appeared in London, this time on the side of the Royal Courts of Justice. The artwork depicts a judge in a wig and robe striking a protester to the ground, with blood splattering from their placard…
A major exhibition of recent works by David Hockney is set to open at Serpentine North in London from 12 March to 23 August 2026. This will be the artist’s first show at the Serpentine…
Mestizo Restaurant & Margarita Bar in Chelsea offers authentic Mexican cuisine, including tacos, alambres, and baja-style shrimp, alongside a curated tequila and mezcal menu. To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the restaurant has partnered with 1800 Tequila to create a summer cocktail menu…
London Design Festival 2025 offers a wide range of events across the city, and our guide highlights twelve unmissable experiences, from Beacon by Lee Broom to Fleet Street Quarter…
The 36th Bienal de São Paulo, titled Not All Travellers Walk Roads – Of Humanity as Practice, opens on 6 September 2025 at the Bienal Pavilion, inviting visitors to explore humanity as an active practice through art. Inspired by the poetry of Conceição Evaristo, the exhibition brings together 120 participants…
August marks the start of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, the biggest celebration of women’s rugby the world has ever seen. With matches already under way across iconic venues including Sunderland, Manchester, Northampton, York, Brighton, Exeter and Bristol…
The most wonderful time of the year returns to London this autumn, as art fair season takes over the city. Long-established events like Frieze, 1-54, and LAPADA make their annual return, alongside exciting art weeks and festivals, including London Sculpture Week and the London Design Festival…