Hwang InRan is a Seoul-based painter whose sumptuous allegorical paintings explore themes of self-examination and reflection. Hwang’s paintings consist of a solitary female figure before a luridly floral background. The figure represents the individual in a moment of contemplation; her stoic countenance rendered in muted tones stands in striking contrast to the exuberantly chromatic and densely detailed vegetation behind her, underscoring her seeming solitude. However, she is not alone, but under the aegis of a bird or a flower. Such entities, which have symbolic significance in East Asian art—the hawk of power, the peacock of love, and flowers of beauty—are meant to be protective emblems for not only the subject but also the viewers in their own moments of self-reflection.

Hwang InRan (b. 1972, South Korea) lives and works in Seoul, Korea. She received her MFA from the prestigious Hong-Ik University and her BFA from Gangneung-Wonju National University. She has had dozens of solo exhibitions throughout Korea and has participated in numerous group shows in Korea and abroad. She is also currently teaching as an adjunct professor at the Baekseok College of Arts in Seoul.