About the Exhibition Book Dummy Final Illustration © 2008 Heekyung Hur

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Heekyung Hur Illustration & Design
917 599 6296 heekyung.hur@gmail.com
www.heekyunghur.com, www.illoz.net

HEEKYUNG HUR'S FIRST CHILDREN'S BOOK
"THE TURTLE & THE RABBIT"

New York, NY (June 3, 2008)- Heekyung Hur displays the watercolors for her first children's book, "The Turtle & The Rabbit" at the Fashion Institute of Technology's Graduation Illustration group exhibition. The exhibition runs from June 3 to July 12, 2008; an opening reception will be held on June 5, 2008 from 6 to 8 P.M. The gallery is located at 27th Street and 7th Avenue.  It is open Tuesday – Friday from noon to 8 P.M, and Saturday from 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. Admissions to the exhibition is free.

For the show, Heekyung is retelling a Korean traditional folk tale, known variously as the Rabbit's Story, the Turtle's Story or the Rabbit's Liver. The story, based on a Korean folktale, was first written as a traditional narrative song, a pansori, "The Song of the Undersea Palace" The story was later written as a novel in the 1700s. The plot centers on a turtle sent to bring a rabbit to the undersea kingdom of a king who needs the rabbit's fresh liver as a cure for his disease. The rabbit cleverly escapes the snare. The story criticizes the rabbit's vanity and the authoritarians' greed. It also shows the rabbit's wit in escaping from a difficult position and the turtle's loyalty. In Korea, the story has been widely read as a children's book for three centuries.

"I've wanted to recreate Korean traditional folktales which are very familiar to me. I always loved to draw animals, people and stories. Korean architectural ornaments also fascinate me. I wanted to show my own interpretation and my interests through this children's book," says Heekyung.

"I like using watercolor, because it allows me to create a range of coloration, from transparent to opaque. I have to carefully control the amount of water, and my wet brush technique. Sometimes the watercolor unexpectedly spreads on the wet surface to create a romantic and subtle texture," adds Hur.

Heekyung studied Korean and western painting, sculpture, drawing and design at Kaywon High School of Arts, and earned her B.F.A in Environmental Design at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, Korea. She worked as an interior designer of commercial spaces focusing on movie theaters and restaurants. She has designed not only interior and exterior structures, but also super graphics, flooring, carpeting, lighting and signboards. Heekyung Hur received her M.A. in Illustration from FIT in 2008.

The artist works in both traditional and digital mediums. For more samples and information, please visit her website, www.heekyunghur.com or call (917) 599 6296.

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