Mecenat

Since 2012, INTOPS has been expanding the in-house "Street Gallery" project with Seoul Mecenat motivate artists and instill artistic inspiration in people.

In addition, we are promoting a variety of public social contribution projects including the "Art & Illustration Competition" and "Artist Exhibition Support."

We have been creating outlets for cultural expression to communicate the works of artists to the general public by providing exhibition spaces and supporting works and exhibition preparations for various artists. Support activities are continuously performed to inspire artistic sensibilities and deliver a fresh cultural experience to visitors. Through the appreciation of artwork, we aim to provide inspirational opportunities to those with aspirations for becoming artists by facilitating communication with existing active artists.

INTOPS supports mecenat activities with our subsidiary company Arro.

Art & Illustration Competition

Epicase Art & Illustration Competitions are held to discover capable artists and provide even more artists with opportunities to grow. In addition, the competitions have been instrumental in advancing the appreciation and sharing of art in everyday life through our wide range of cultural activities. We hope to see a continuation and evolution of sharing artistic inspiration and special experiences between artists and the general public.

Works chosen through the competition are reborn as Epicase products, and proceeds from the product are paid to the artist as royalties. Selected artists receive a variety of support for their work upon being registered as an Epicase artist. The Epicase Art & Illustration Competition is held annually on August 1st.

5th Epicase Art & Illustration Competition 2014

Winner Jung Woong - Heart Beat Collabo

130BO is the unique symbol that number figures "130" and letters "BO" is formed on a face of gorilla. I'm a character designer, Woong Jung who proposes a new life to young generations enjoying arious cultures by communicating by smart graphics/toys/movie clips and etc. upon the motto of "HEART BEAT COLLABO"

 Jung Woong - Heart Beat Collabo

2nd Place Kim Bongjoon - Myungdong Steet

The theme of my paintings is 'REST'. I felt the joy in daily trivial landscapes, they are made of one drawing and each one creates a story together. The motto of the work is to express interestingly and warmly the story of people in daily who is dreaming of relaxation and rest.

Kim Bongjoon - Myungdong Steet

3rd Place Lee Yeonwoo - Go to School

Do not be dignified. Let ashamed.I want to be people back to see me again even if had lots of mistakes and not perfect. I want to draw a character resembling the taste of the individual from time to time, not formalized. The character is a good actor that can project me. Nostalgia - I want to draw a picture of the character that over the desolation.

Lee Yeonwoo - Go to School

4th Place Park Taehoon - Dream Container

I am mainly working for 3D which is utilizing of isometric techniques. Also, 3D illustrations can still seem strange but I am looking to challenge the other new areas which are different from the existing 2D illustration hand drawing or digital drawing through a neat and clean feeling of 3D. I would like to visually deliver the unfamiliar feelings coming from the middle, not full 3D and 2D, even though there are gaps and a few works because the illustrations were just recently started. Meantime, another illustration is also available as well as the simple motion graphics and animation.

Park Taehoon - Dream Container

5th Place Siyana Zaharieva - The Happy Hedgehog

For Siyana, childhood memories have acquired the form of fairy-tales. They are a source of her inspiration, together with the good stories for children, classic and contemporary tales and the world around her. She has an eye for the small details in nature and adores animals. Therefore very often they become the funny and fascinating characters in her illustrations. She loves the feel of paper and therefore draws by hand, usually with acrylic paints, using warm and distinctive colours.

Siyana Zaharieva - The Happy Hedgehog

4th Epicase Art & Illustration Competition 2013

Winner Jahng Hyoungjoon - Dokaebee Character

Artist Hyeong-jun Jang's works are always bright and vivid. No matter how tired and depress you may be, one look at his work will liven the mood. Even familiar goblins in fairy tales or an old man with a scary demeanor are reborn as cute and adorable characters with a stroke of his hand. Jang enjoys re-envisioning everyday characters and a variety of subjects that are recognizable or familiar in remarkably cute ways. He's currently part of an indie band known as "Alright Band" as a session artist. One has to wonder if his music is as bright and cheerful as his artwork.

Jahng Hyoungjoon - Dokaebee Character

2nd Place Jung-youn Kim - Couple Ice Cream Stick

Jeong-yun Kim's pieces employ a strong comic style and capture moments of ordinary life imbued with his rich imagination. The piece that portrays several brands melting have a strange way of touching the viewer in an exaggerated way. The main character featured in many of his works bear a strong resemblance to Kim himself. The imagination conveyed to the viewers by becoming the main character of his own work is captivating.

Kim Jeongyun - Couple Ice Cream Stick

3rd Place Jae-hoon Choi - Matryoshka Cat

Warmth, charming, and refreshing... These are the words that come to mind when viewing Jae-hoon Choi's piece. However, instead of idling with such emotions, creativity is stimulated and curiosity about the before and after stories behind his work is sparked. Babushka Matryoshka appears frequently in Choi's pieces. Although his artworks mask his insecurities, they're also representative of the transformation from insecurity to hope.

Choi Jae Hoon - Matryoshka Cat

4th Place Federico Bonifacini - Dachshund

Federico Bonifacini described the reasons for enjoying his work as the lack of rules, schedules, and urgency as well as the possibility of forging his own world - a world that contains only himself and his imagination. Bonifacini's imagination doesn't just affect the people around him. It can be found in various objects, clothing, foods, fashion, and games. The witty artist's bright disposition only serves to make his next piece that much more anticipated.

Federico Bonifacini - Dachshund

5th Place Khoa Le - Day Dreamer

Artwork that exude an aura of magic with a dream-like atmosphere. In fact, artist Khoa Le claims that she created several pieces based on her dreams. Sometimes heavy and serious and other times clear and bright like a fairy tale. Le's imagination lets the viewer become lost in a dream.

Khoa Le - Day Dreamer

3rd Epicase Art & Illustration Competition 2012

Winner Kazachuk Alina - Chelobuks

Ancient cultures and ethnic motifs had a significant impact on Alina Kazachuk's individuality and creativity. Her style consists of a coexistence of rhythmic elements and a variety of rich graphics. Kazachuk's work can be described as a silent conversation between exquisite colors, symbolic language of geometric forms, and mystical patterns. In this genre, she pursues the art world through a modern interpretation of the traditional while establishing her own creative world of design. Alina Kazachuk's other pieces are available for viewing on the Epicase website.

Kazachuk Alina - Chelobuks

2nd Place Viktor Hertz - the beatles pic

Viktor Hertz is a freelance graphic designer working out of Uppsala, Sweden with a focus on simple illustrations of logos, posters, and icons. He is well-known for his variations of the Apple logo and sometimes works as a photographer as well as a film artist. Hertz started graphic design in 2009, working on individual projects and illustrations. From 2010 to 2011, he was also involved in teaching visual communications at the Beckmans College of Design in Stockholm. Other than his personal projects, Viktor Hertz is currently focused on commissioned works. More of his pieces are available for viewing on the Epicase website.

Viktor Hertz - the beatles pic

3rd Place Antoana Oreski - Hansel Gretel

Antoana Oreski recalls the experience of listening to her mother's bedtime stories as fascinating and magical. Disney animations evoked a sense of direction for her in developing characters as well as her creativity and exploration. The source of Oreski’s artistic abilities was always closely tied to her childhood memories, and this is conveyed through simple color schemes together with unique sensibilities. She currently works as a designer/illustrator and isn't afraid of experimenting to raise the intrinsic value of her pieces. She loves textures and detail-oriented work and looks for inspiration from anything that has something to say to the world. Antoana Oreski's pieces are available for viewing on the Epicase website.

Antoana Oreski  - Hansel Gretel

4th Place Yong-oh Kim - Jjaddujjack second

Yong-oh Kim is an illustrator and traveler who expresses his experiences as attractive fantasies with vivid colors and lines overflowing with individuality. He claims to derive inspiration from all types of unique experience, but as a young person in his 20s, he also takes advantage of emotions felt in ordinary settings such as parties. In addition to his illustrations, Kim often works with short videos, film, and fashion among others. He is currently preparing to publish his first illustrated essay "Traveler." Yong-oh Kim's other works are available for viewing on the Epicase website.

Kim Yong Oh - Jjaddujjack second

5th Place 3HDL - Hi, Polar bear

3HDL is a member of the design group 5unday and his works are novel and cheerful. He enjoys seeing reactions from viewers, whether it be a burst of laughter or a minor scoff. He says he wouldn't mind a simple "Oh, this is so cute" type of response. 3HDL wants to convey the joy that he feels when working on a project to other people as well. As they say, what's good for the goose is good for the gander.

3HDL - Hi, Polar bear

2nd Epicase Art & Illustration Competition 2011

Winner Rebecca Q. Yankes - Mandril

Rebecca Q. Yankes loves the beauty in all things. She is inspired by the unique personalities of various animals, and her works convey the composure of a baboon in Africa, resilience of small birds, and the patience of an anteater. Yankes tries to extract the essence of animals through direct observation and expresses them with the simplest of expressions. She hopes that people gain a slightly different perspective on animals after viewing her pieces.

Rebecca Q Yankes - Mandril

2nd Place Greno - Blue Lip

Min-jae Lee's artwork is full of eerie tension that cannot be ignored - and we love it. His piece draws in viewers by expressing beauty, innocence, and frailty with intense colors and strong lines. He taught himself art at the age of 19, and expressed his work through traditional materials such as markers, pens, crayons, acrylic paints, etc. The defining characteristic of his works is the dramatic representation. This delicate woman, who is the main character in most of Lee's works, exudes a dark, underlying tension. She seems like she's about to confront imminent danger, yet rescue seems all but impossible even if one of Lee's brightest markers was used.

Greno - Blue Lip

1st Epicase Art & Illustration Competition 2010

Winner Chae-eun Park - Party

An anguished artist somehow looks attractive. Some artists go loking for agony through unnecessary travels. Chae-eun Park, however, is not one of those artists. Having no worries means having no fears, and to Park, a canvas is her personal playground - A refreshing cut of the Gordian knot. When difficult-to-understand ideologies such as post-modernism and minimalism are removed from pop-art, you are left with only the essentials. Perhaps this piece is representative of that idea. Park's piece evokes a sense of smoothness and freshness. We can feel Chae-eun Park's free spirit calling us just outside of the range of her work's smoothness.

Park Chae Eun - Party

2nd Place Redmon - I Like You

Redmon's piece may be a combination of lines drawn at will on a sketchbook while sitting at an open-air cafe on a hot afternoon. But why do we feel a strange familiarity without any resistance? An artist does not consciously look at the world with an eagle eye. Rather than trying hard to rip out every single detail, an artist portrays only what he or she can and moves on with a laid-back attitude. Two things can be derived from this. One, the perfectly organized immortal masterpieces from the Renaissance are now fading like the melodies of yesterday's popular songs. And two, the dawn of a new generation is upon us - one in which a work of art that could have been drawn by any one of our friends has the power to put a smile on its viewers.

Redmon - I Like You

3rd Place Tall Tree - Girl

Tall Tree is actually a named shared by two artists. Thus, the style can be divided into two distinct types. One style conveys a gaze full of awareness with a relaxed sensibility. The other style conveys a free spirit that emphasizes a feeling of passion. Time moves slowly in comparison to other for the methodical Tall Tree, but the passionate Tall Tree's minute hand probably completes a bewildering ten rotations in one minute. Of course, no person has only one type of disposition. Whether it's slowly sipping a cup of coffee or running at full speed, we want to keep Tall Tree's piece next to our hearts.

Tall Tree - Girl

Street Gallery

Epicase's brand philosophy of "Fun and emotional charge in everyday life" represents a desire to conect more people to an artist's work. As a part of this activity, we have been organizing "Epicase Street Gallery" events throughout the country with the help of artists' contributions. We encourage you to view works of art in your everyday life through Street Gallery.

No. 10 - Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University

We are so glad to announce our 10th Street Gallery has just opened at Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University located in Korea. Dunkeys by artist Coolrain made a great contribution to the project. The title of the project is "Everyone needs break time" Hoping everyone takes a little break on the bench, enjoying Coolrain's beautiful works.

Street Gallery No. 10

Street Gallery No. 10

Street Gallery No. 10

No. 9 - Gangnam Station Platform, Subway Line 2

9th Street Gallery was held on the platform of Subway Line 2 at Gangnam Station. 12 pieces were displayed in the Jamsil direction and another 12 in the Sadang direction for a total of 24. Unlike previous Street Galleries, the understated details and simple designs of our Epicase artists were displayed on benches. "Diversity and differences" was the main theme for the 9th Street Gallery at Gangnam Station. This gallery showcased works from Won-pyo Hong and Redmon of Epicase as well as business managers from Seoul Mécénat of the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture. The gallery and the INTOPS Sharing Project would not have been possible without the hard work and contributions of numerous people. We express our sincere gratitude to the artists who donated their works, the parties who provided the space, and all those who worked hard to make the 9th Street Gallery a success. Epicase designated a portion of the proceeds from product sales toward artist exhibitions, the Street Gallery opening, and the development of new artists who wish to realize their dreams.

Street Gallery No. 9

Street Gallery No. 9

No. 8 - Seoul City Hall Station, Subway Line 1

The 8th Street Gallery was held on the platform that connects Line 1 and Line 2, at Seoul City Hall Station. The large-scale project covered the entire wall of the hallway and brought an opportunity for many people who utilize the subway to view art during a small part of everyday life. This gallery featured two pieces, "Festive City, Fantasy City" by Jamsan and "Story – Seoul’s Four Palaces" by Won-pyo Hong. This was a largest single-piece showcase since Street Gallery's inception, and its impact and response were that much more powerful. "Seoul’s Four Palaces" featured simple bird's-eye-view interpretations of Gyeongbokgung, Deoksugung, Changgyeong, Changdeokgung, the Royal Ancestral Ritual in the Jongmyo Shrine, and Records of the Superintendents of the Royal Wedding Ceremonies to capture the interests of adults as well as children. The subject of Jamsan's work was the beautiful nighttime view of Seoul and included the Namsan Tower, Han River Cruise, 63 Building, and Han River Bridge. The night sky was embroidered with a color display of fireworks for a truly fantastic nighttime view of Seoul.

Street Gallery No. 8

Street Gallery No. 8

No. 7 - Seoul City Hall Station Platform, Subway Line 1

The 7th Street Gallery was held on the upper and lower platforms of Seoul City Hall Station, Subway Line 1. The subway station platform is a place where hard working individuals start and finish their day. Epicase's desire was that these people had some respite from their long days by viewing sculptures and reading heartwarming messages. City Hall Station Street Gallery was situated in City Hall as an attraction for the people passing through. The sculptures provided a sort of friendship to the many people who stopped for a moment to appreciate the works of art, take pictures, and rest their weary shoulders. The theme for this gallery was "You are not alone." Despite living in a large, busy city and talking with people during the course of a day, many of us often feel lonely. It's actually quite rare to share a moment of true understanding in these settings. While starting the day like any other, many people feel alone when experiencing the same daily routine. The significance of being able to share laughter, breathe comfortably, meeting someone or something, and the feeling that something good may happen... These small moments are what seem important. They are the driving forces that sustain our everyday lives. We quietly repeat while viewing the Street Gallery, "You are not alone. I'm here with you."

Street Gallery No. 7

Street Gallery No. 7

No. 6 - Shinchon Station, Subway Line 2, "Meeting Square" near Exits 3 & 4

Shinchon Station is one of the hot spots for young adults in Gangbuk District. The 6th Epicase Street Gallery was held at the Meeting Square near Exits 3 & 4. The charmingly cute statues and comfortable benches suddenly became a local attraction and were extremely popular with the numerous citizens and students utilizing the subway. While waiting for an appointment or simply passing through, people were able to appreciate the work of Epicase artists and take pictures with their mobile phones for lasting memories.

Street Gallery No. 6

Street Gallery No. 6

No. 5 - Frisbee Store

The Frisbee Store in the middle of Gangnam District boasts the largest population flow in all of South Korea. Epicase artists once again gathered to hold another Street Gallery. Being a popular location, the response to the gallery was tremendous, and the support from fans of the artists was heartfelt. It was a great opportunity to showcase the blending of commercial spaces and artistic content as well as inspire people in the middle of a dreary city center.

Street Gallery No. 5

No. 4 - Nami Island UNICEF Hall

Nami Island UNICEF Hall was a location discovered while putting on several Epicase Street Gallery and delivering messages of hope and dreams to children. This place allows for the viewing of the world from the perspective of children, and the exhibitions allow for the meeting of many friends living in every corner of the globe. Some children suffer from hunger and water contamination, and others suffer through difficult days due to epidemics and natural disasters. Inspired by UNICEF's efforts throughout the world to support suffering children, Epicase wanted to convey a message of hope through the work of various artists in the Street Gallery and quietly cheer on those who are suffering from a small corner of South Korea.

Street Gallery No. 4

Street Gallery No. 4

No. 3 - Gyeonggi Children's Museum

The Gyeonggi Children's Museum is one of the favorite locations for children throughout Seoul. Through direct interaction with the many exhibits on display, children can experience the fun of learning on their own and cultivate their dreams, curiosities, and endless imagination. Epicase artists' works were on display in the museum lobby that symbolizes these ideals. The various works of Epicase artists were expressed by channeling Dutch painter and pioneer of a new art movement Piet Mondrian. The strong individuality in the works of Epicase artists were refined to derive the basic components to explore the most beautiful compositions. If children can enjoy themselves through the Epicase Street Gallery and find happiness during the brief moments of visiting the museum, then the efforts of the Epicase artists and staff Epicase does not seem to have been in vain.

Street Gallery No. 3

Street Gallery No. 3

No. 2 - SoonChunHyang University Hospital, Pediatric Ward

The second Epicase Street Gallery was held in the SoonChunHyang University Hospital Pediatric Ward in the hopes of providing a bit of comfort and pleasure to the children and parents who visit the pediatric ward. Children who ought to grow up bright and without a blemish fight many illnesses and struggle each and every day in the pediatric ward. We could only hope that more children received some comfort and felt some joy through the works of Epicase artists.

Street Gallery No. 2

Street Gallery No. 2

No. 1 - Hogye-dong, Anyang

The very first Epicase Street Gallery was held on a busy sidewalk in Hogye-dong, Anyang. Busy city residents have a difficult time finding the free time to visit cultural spaces such as museums. A cultural space was created on a busy roadside sidewalk to bring the experience of art appreciation to these busy individuals. To share Epicase's brand philosophy of "A chance meeting with art in everyday life," we will continue to cultivate cultural activities in diverse ways so that people may comfortably encounter art in their daily lives.

Street Gallery No. 1

Street Gallery No. 1

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