Jung Jinho

Jung Jinho, a South Korean architect, author and illustrator. His picture book Look Up! won a mention in the Opera prima category at the 2015 Bologna Ragazzi Awards, and was selected as an IBBY Outstanding Book for Young People With Disabilities in 2017. He received a Special Mention in the Art - Architecture & Design category at the 2018 Bologna Ragazzi Awards with his book Wall. His best known works include Look Up!, Wall, ''Me and the Stars, 3-Second Diving, and The Fox Goblin''.

Life

Jung Jinho born in 1987 in Daegu Metropolitan City, South Korea, studied architecture at Hanyang University. Involved in an accident when he was two years old, he spent his childhood days in the hospital with picture books at his bedside. As a child, he frequented comic book rental shops with his sister, where girls’ romance comics nurtured his sensitive, artistic side. He majored in architecture at Hanyang University, but took his first step as a picture book author by exhibiting a pile of picture books instead of building models for his graduation thesis. He currently works as a picture book author and illustrator, building narrative structures within picture books. He lives in the city of Seongnam with his wife and two cats, and creates picture books and independent publications.

Career

Jung Jinho completed his “architecture trilogy” picture books with Look up!, Wall, and Me and the Stars. His first picture book, Look Up!, won a mention in the Opera prima category at the 2015 Bologna Ragazzi Awards, and was selected as an IBBY Outstanding Book for Young People With Disabilities. He received a Special Mention in Art at the 2018 Bologna Ragazzi Awards with his book ''Wall.''

Style

The theme that runs through Jung Jinho’s artistic world is the human gaze. His three early picture books, Look Up!, Wall, and Me and the Stars, form a trilogy, composed of three architectural views: plan, section, and perspective. As can be seen in Me and the Stars, he is also adept at capturing small details that people tend to overlook. 3-Second Diving portrays the inner psyche of a child who is all too aware of his shortcomings, and Heartbeats tenderly cheers those who are taking one painstaking step forward at a time.

Milestones

2022 Author Lecture at the Korean Pavilion, Bogota International Book Fair
2021 Meet the Author in Korean School, Korean Education Center, Chicago, USA
2020 “Future-ing” Author Interview, Korean Pavilion, Moscow International Book Fair
2019 Three Picture Book Authors in Conversation, Seoul International Book Fair

Activities

2022 In My Heart: Everyone's Picture Books Exhibition, Hangaram Art Museum, Seoul Arts Center
2021 Bottari Vacance Exhibition, Pangyo Hyundai Museum of Kids’ Books & Art
2020 We Want to Play Exhibition, Wonju Munari Space 5.3
2019 Land of Fairy Tales, Land of Plants Exhibition, Um Museum
2018 Solo exhibition of artwork from Wall, Gerazine Gallery, Jeju-do
2016 Images That Tell a Story, Exhibition of Illustrations, Museum SAN
2016 Asian Story Festival Exhibition, Asian Cultural Center

Awards

2020 Selected as one of The White Ravens by the Munich International Youth Library, Duck Stone Duck
2017 Selected as an IBBY Outstanding Book for Young People With Disabilities, Look Up!
2018 Special Mention in Art, Architecture & Design at the Bologna Ragazzi Awards, Wall
2016 Selected as Good Books for Everyone to Read, Taiwan, Look Up!
2015 Selected as one of The White Ravens by the Munich International Youth Library, Look Up!
2015 Mention for Opera Prima at the Bologna Ragazzi Awards, ''Look Up!''

Works

Written and illustrated by Jung Jinho

2023 Fox Goblin
2022 Protect My Moon
2022 A Piece of the Sun
2022 Heartbeats
2022 Dream Muscles
2018 Play With Me!
2018 3-Second Diving
2017 Me and the Stars
2016 Wall
2014 Look Up!
* 2020 往上看! Chinese Edition
* 2018 Kijk naar boven! Nederlands Edition
* 2016 Look Up! English Edition
* 2015 Regarde en haut! French Edition

Collaborations with other authors

2023 I’ll Never Go Fishing Again
2022 How Does Imagination Work, Mr. Einstein?
2021 Little Pond
2020 Duck Stone Duck
2019 Daddy and Me
2019 Hunting Lulu
2017 I See
2017 Nar and the Snowman
2017 The Transparent Trees
2015 ''Yellow Boots''