9-year-old painter wows visitors

Lee In-hoo poses with one of his paintings.

By Kang Hyun-kyung

A 9-year-old painting prodigy has a dream ― to draw the Eiffel Tower in person.

Lee In-hoo, a third grader of the Jangpyung Elementary School in Seoul, says the tower has never gone from his mind since he was five years old.

He used to ask his mother, Choi Myung-suk, when she would allow him to travel to Paris, a haven for international artists.

“I feel comfortable when drawing. I just do what I want and follow my heart when drawing,” the young artist said.

In-hoo was born to an artistic family. His mother Choi is a fashion designer for a kids garment brand run by her husband. In-hoo’s uncle is a professional artist based in Paris.

“My son appears to be affected by the family background,” Choi said. “But an artistic gene from the maternal side alone seems not to be sufficient enough to explain In-hoo’s talent in painting because he always presents art works that go far beyond my expectation.”

The young painter’s works, which are on exhibit at the AI1 Gallery in Jangan, eastern Seoul, drew critical acclaim from established artists.

Kwon Young-gull, a professor and the director of the Seoul National University Museum of Art, acknowledged the boy’s gifts, appraising his work as “amazing.”

The exhibition of In-hoo’s works was originally scheduled to be held until late this month. This week, AI1 Gallery extended the exhibition one month until late June as word of the young artist prompted an influx of visitors and phone inquiries.

In-hoo’s mother said her son was different from other boys and girls of his age in many ways from his early childhood.

“My son wowed me when I returned home after work. He made numerous ‘masterpieces’ almost every day,” she said.

“He likes drawing and has produced numerous works on his own by using creatively a variety of materials, such as pen and acrylics. His works were not seen as something made by a nine-year-old. His topics, his use of materials and his way of describing his objectives, all were exceptional.”

Choi said In-hoo told her he would become an artist when he was five. “Since then, he drew pictures based on his imagination and memory after family trips. The Eiffel Tower has always been his favorite topic.”