Hana Art Bus Awards Ceremony Held... Ham Young-joo: "Continued Discovery of Artists with Developmental Disabilities"

Art Contest for Artists with Developmental Disabilities Marks Fifth Year
Exhibitions and Collaborative Merchandise Help Artists Achieve Independence
Record Participation This Year with 1,225 Entrants

Hana Financial Group announced on April 19 that it held the awards ceremony for the 5th Hana Art Bus, an art contest featuring artists with developmental disabilities, at Hana Bank Euljiro Headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul, on April 17 to mark Disabled Persons Day.

Ham Young-joo, Chairman of Hana Financial Group (center), is taking a commemorative photo with artist Park Chanho (left), who won the grand prize in the adult category, and artist Choi Yujin, who won the grand prize in the children and youth category, at the awards ceremony for the 5th Hana Art Bus, an art contest for artists with developmental disabilities, held at the Euljiro headquarters of Hana Bank on the 17th. Provided by Hana Financial Group

This art contest has been held annually by Hana Financial Group since 2022 to raise awareness about disabilities and promote a culture of inclusion. The purpose is to support the social participation and economic independence of artists with developmental disabilities through artistic activities.

This year's contest, held under the theme of free expression, attracted 1,225 artists with developmental disabilities over the course of about three months, from November of last year to February of this year. This marks the largest number of participants in the history of the contest.

The submitted works were reviewed by a panel of judges from the Hanyang University Art & Design Education Center. A total of 30 winners were selected, including 20 in the adult category and 10 in the children and youth category. The winners were awarded a total of 10.2 million won in prize money. In addition, three adult category winners will be offered the opportunity to participate in an internship program at 'Spring Shine', a social enterprise dedicated to nurturing artists with disabilities.

Chairman Ham Young-joo, who attended the awards ceremony, stated, "We will continue to actively discover artists with developmental disabilities who possess passion and talent, and we will take the lead in providing full support and encouragement to create a virtuous cycle that supports their social growth and economic independence."

The grand prize in the adult category was awarded to artist Park Chanho for his work "Forest of Sound," which extended his musical experiences into a visual sculptural language. The grand prize in the children and youth category went to artist Choi Yoojin for "Good Friends Who Smile Together," which depicted a red horse character representing this year.

The winning works will be on display at the gallery on the first floor of Hana Bank Euljiro Headquarters until April 24. From May 4 to May 15, a special exhibition will be held at H.art1 (Heart One), Hana Financial Group's complex cultural space located in Euljiro 3-ga. The grand prize and top prize-winning works will also be exhibited at ART BUSAN 2026, Korea's largest art fair, to be held at BEXCO in Busan from May 21 to May 24 next month.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.