Oh Seung-min (오승민; born 1974) is a
South Korean illustrator. She received the Second Prize at the NOMA Concours for Children's Picture Book Illustrations with ''Hide and Seek''. ''Ugly Baby Duck'' was selected for the
Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava (BIB) in 2007. Oh was also chosen as an illustrator representing the Korean Pavilion at the
Bologna Children's Book Fair
The Bologna Children's Book Fair or La fiera del libro per ragazzi is the leading professional fair for children's books in the world.
Since 1963, it is held yearly for four days in March or April in Bologna, Italy. It is the meeting place for al ...
with ''The Song of Aggabi'' in 2009. Her best-known works other than the above include ''Myung-Hee's Picture Book, Today is Tonkatsu and Curried Rice, I am An Jung-Geun,'' and ''The Red God''.
Style
Oh Seung-min employs a variety of styles depending on the
genre
Genre () is any style or form of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other fo ...
she is working with. Since she thinks that the role of images in a book is not to adorn the text but to serve as a guide in conveying the story visually, she tries to choose a style of drawing that best fits the subject matter and theme of each book. This results in an array of different styles. For instance, ''Today is Tonkatsu and Curried Rice,'' a work that depicts the emotional turmoil of a child with
ADHD
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and emotional dysregulation that are excessive and pervasive, impairing in multiple ...
, was mostly produced using
computer graphics
Computer graphics deals with generating images and art with the aid of computers. Computer graphics is a core technology in digital photography, film, video games, digital art, cell phone and computer displays, and many specialized applications. ...
.
She deftly handles an emotionally charged topic by using the color blue to convey the child's emotions amidst a background of black-and-white mentality that labels children as either good or bad. ''The Red God'' takes on the serious subject of animal testing through the eyes of a mouse. Life and death as well as despair and redemption are rendered in vivid colors. In ''My Doksan-Dong'', which was selected as a KBBY Recommended Book, Oh uses
oil pastel
An oil pastel is a Art medium, painting medium that consists of powdered pigment mixed with a binder (material), binder mixture of non-drying oil and wax. Oil pastel is a type of pastel. They differ from other pastels which are made with a gum ...
s and paints to capture how the rough but heartwarming neighborhood used to look like in the 1980s, and the lives contained within.
Works as writer and illustrator
*2022 ''The Red God'' (Manmanhan Books)
*2022 ''The Tree that Fled the War'' (Hanullim Kids)
*2022 ''Ruho the Tiger'' (Changbi)
*2021 ''Today is Tonkatsu and Curried Rice'' (Hanullim Special)
*2016 ''Alice's Wonderful Hair Salon'' (Kossum)
*2004 ''Hide and Seek'' (Nurimbo)
Collaborations with other authors
*2020 ''The Secret of Yeondong-Dong'' (Changbi)
*2019 ''My Doksan-Dong'' (Moonji)
*2019 ''I am An Jung-Geun'' (Wisdom House)
*2008 ''Myung-Hee's Picture Book'' (Borim)
**2011 ''Mias Traumbär'' (aracari verlag, Switzerlan
*2007 ''Red, Red, What Kind of Red?'' (Sigong Junior)
**2007 ''Rojo, rojo, ¿qué es rojo?'' (Altea, Mexic
*2007 ''Chasing, Fleeing, Searching, Hiding'' (Woongjin Junior)
**2007 咚咚咚咚, 敲响科学的门 自然科学 动物的生存本领 (百花洲文艺出 版社, China)
*2006 ''The Song of Aggabi'' (Nurimbo)
*2005 ''Ugly Baby Duck'' (Woongjin Junior)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oh, Seung-min
1974 births
Living people
People from Yeongam County
South Korean women children's book illustrators
South Korean children's writers
South Korean children's book illustrators