Cute and Adorable Diary Decoration Supplies All in One Place... 'K-Illustration Fair Busan' Diary Decorating Special Exhibition is Here!

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The largest illustration exhibition in the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam (Bu-Ul-Gyeong) region, 'K-Illustration Fair Busan 2020,' will be held at BEXCO in Busan from Friday, July 10 to Sunday, July 12.

Famous illustrators are enjoying popularity comparable to celebrities. This phenomenon was evident at the ‘K-Illustration Fair Busan 2019’ held last July, where visitors from all over the country gathered in large numbers. It was a glimpse into fandom culture, with fans getting autographs from their favorite illustrators and purchasing artworks. The booths of star-level illustrators were as crowded as idol fan signing events.

Such enthusiasm for illustrators and the formation of fandom culture have become an overall trend in the illustration industry. It is common for well-known artists to have over 500,000 followers on social media. Riding this wave, the upcoming ‘K-Illustration Fair Busan 2020’ in July is expected to be a venue for the further development of illustration fan culture. Through exhibition spaces promoting illustration works and selling goods, it leverages the unique advantages of offline communication that cannot be experienced online, enabling close interaction between artists and the public.

The ‘K-Illustration Fair Busan 2020,’ where you can enjoy works by Korea’s representative illustrators at a glance, will be held for three days from Friday, July 10 to Sunday, July 12 at BEXCO in Busan. As the largest specialized illustration exhibition in the Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam region, last year’s event attracted over 40,000 visitors. National-level famous artists participate, providing an overview of the trends in the domestic illustration industry.

‘K-Illustration Fair Busan 2020’ features artists from various fields including illustration, graphic design, character design, typography, calligraphy, webtoons, and independent publishing. As the only specialized illustration exhibition in the Bu-Ul-Gyeong region, a major highlight for visitors is the opportunity to directly observe a wide range of illustration works and production processes?from hand-drawn sketches by artists to concept art, 3D models, and goods. Every year, the fair discovers promising hidden artists and their works, promoting them to domestic and international buyers and the public, while providing a platform for communication with experts and renowned creators. It has served as a driving force for the development of the domestic illustration industry by effectively promoting participating artists through various media and social networking services (SNS).

The 'Design Lounge Members Special Exhibition' is a unique exhibition space filled with the artist's distinctive personality.

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This year’s exhibition highlights the ‘Design Lounge Members Special Exhibition,’ a content that draws significant attention from illustration fans. It offers an opportunity to meet artists who have been active on ‘K-Handmade Design Lounge,’ Korea’s first handmade illustration platform, offline. A new ‘Design Lounge Member Booth’ will also be operated, where artists can personally display their exhibition spaces with their unique styles. This differentiated and novel plan allows artists to operate a booth for three days at a cost of 300,000 KRW. It is a great opportunity for promising emerging artists to participate in the exhibition without burden and widely showcase their talents.

A global craze for ‘Dakku’ (diary decorating) is sweeping the world. ‘Dakku,’ an abbreviation for diary decorating, has created new terms such as ‘Mate’ (masking tape), ‘Ins’ (printed stickers), and ‘Tteokme’ (rice cake binding notepads), forming a new market. The number of illustrators specializing in producing Dakku products is also increasing. ‘K-Illustration Fair Busan 2020’ plans to present a ‘Diary Decorating Special Exhibition’ where visitors can find various design goods such as stickers, diary supplies, stationery, illustration items, and living goods, all created by unique illustrators in one place. On-site events for ‘Dakkureo’ (people who enjoy diary decorating) will also be held at the exhibition. Participating artist Kim Sang-hwan said, “Considering the growing demand for Dakku items such as stickers and Tteokme, I started producing Dakku goods earlier this year. Although there has been no large-scale offline market in the Bu-Ul-Gyeong region to promote and sell Dakku products, I expect to introduce my works nationwide and meet fans directly through this exhibition.”

A ‘Experience Booth’ will also be set up where visitors can take illustration classes directly from artists and create their own works. Participants in the experience booth can operate classes within the booth as well as exhibit and sell their works. It can also serve as a platform for sharing the unique experiences of artists. Visitors can step out of the role of spectators and become illustrators themselves, enjoying a unique experience. The act of drawing and creating by hand is expected to be a great opportunity to inspire ideas and creativity for modern people accustomed to smart devices.

Events that attract fans’ interest in participating artists and companies and provide benefits to winning artists are also underway. This event selects the top two companies with the highest combined number of likes on participant introduction posts uploaded on the official Instagram account and likes on the companies’ pages within the K-Handmade Design Lounge website. Winners will have the opportunity to produce collaboration goods for the next year’s ‘K-Illustration Fair Busan 2021’ and receive one woodworking booth (Booth B) free of charge.

The organizing office of ‘K-Illustration Fair Busan 2020’ expressed confidence, stating, “This year’s exhibition will satisfy fans’ value-for-money expectations with a large number of skilled artists participating, offering impressive, enjoyable, and diverse works.” Applications for participation are accepted until Friday, May 15 via the official website, email, or fax. For detailed information including experience booth applications and events, inquiries can be made through the website or by phone.

The ‘K-Handmade Fair 2020,’ an event in the Seoul metropolitan area, will be held at COEX in Samseong-dong in November. The early application deadline is Friday, June 19.

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