Nexon Foundation announced on September 9 that it is holding an exhibition titled 'Winds of Thirty, Connecting Tradition' to commemorate the 30th anniversary of 'The Kingdom of the Winds' at Gyejodang Hall in Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul, through September 21.
The exhibition unveils the results of the 'Borderless Craft-Pan – Winds of Thirty, Connecting Tradition' project, jointly led by Nexon Foundation and the Korea National University of Cultural Heritage. As a follow-up outcome of an emerging artist support initiative conducted by Nexon Foundation since April, it displays 15 works in total, including five traditional craft pieces utilizing 'The Kingdom of the Winds' IP and 10 pieces created by students from the Department of Traditional Arts and Crafts at the Korea National University of Cultural Heritage.
The pieces utilizing 'The Kingdom of the Winds' IP include 'Rogue, Riding the Wind', a sculpture depicting a Rogue character and a squirrel NPC using dry lacquer, lacquerware, and mother-of-pearl; 'Guardian Beast Formation', a ceramic piece embodying the Four Guardian Beasts with the texture of ancient ruins; and 'Collar Holding the Wind', a painting that personifies the Four Guardian Beasts in traditional attire.
Also featured are 'All Phenomena of the Dragon Legend', which reinterprets the boss monster Dragon Legend using traditional dancheong techniques, and 'Ear Pouch Imbued with the Wishes of Squirrels and Rabbits', which features squirrels and rabbits embroidered on a traditional gwijumoni pouch. Characters and the world of the game have been reinterpreted through traditional techniques across various mediums, including sculpture, ceramics, painting, and textiles.
Nexon Foundation selected qualified students among those enrolled in the Department of Traditional Arts and Crafts at the Korea National University of Cultural Heritage to support their artwork production. Along with this, it provided an opportunity for 10 students to display their works. For the project, Nexon Foundation delivered 67.18 million won raised by the foundation and Nexon employees.
Kim Jung-wook, Chairman of Nexon Foundation, said, "It is deeply meaningful that 'The Kingdom of the Winds', which was created based on Korean traditional culture, is reborn at the fingertips of emerging artists on its 30th anniversary. We hope more people will discover the beauty of our traditional culture in a new light through these works born from the meeting of games and tradition."
Visitor events are also taking place at the exhibition venue. Physical samples of 19 online merchandise items inspired by the exhibited works are on display, and a portion of the sales proceeds will be used to support creative activities of emerging artists.
