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《The Wind of Thirty, Carrying On Tradition》

Baram Nara, which marks its 30th anniversary this year, returns in a particularly distinctive form.

Presented through a collaboration between Nexon Foundation’s social contribution project 'Borderless' and Korea National University of Cultural Heritage, the exhibition 《The Wind of Thirty, Carrying On Tradition》 reinterprets Baram Nara through traditional crafts and is being held at Gyejodang Hall in Gyeongbokgung Palace.

The exhibition features works that express the game’s characters and worldview through the materials and techniques of traditional craft,
offering visitors an opportunity to see how familiar scenes from Baram Nara are transformed through an encounter with traditional culture.

1. Basic Exhibition Information

《The Wind of Thirty, Carrying On Tradition》

• Exhibition Period : Wednesday, September 9, 2026 ~ Monday, September 21

• Venue : Gyejodang Hall, Gyeongbokgung Palace

• Viewing Hours : 9:30 AM ~ 5:30 PM

• Last Entry : 5:00 PM

• Closed Day : Tuesday

• Exhibition Admission : Free

• Gyeongbokgung Admission Fee : 3,000 won

• Ages 24 and under : Free admission to Gyeongbokgung

On September 9, visitors may enter from 3:00 PM due to the exhibition’s opening event,
while regular admission begins at 9:30 AM from the following day onward.

Although the exhibition itself is free, it is located inside Gyeongbokgung Palace,
so a separate palace admission fee is required.

2. Why Baram Nara and Traditional Crafts Came Together

This exhibition was planned to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Baram Nara
while also supporting the creative activities of emerging artists through Nexon Foundation’s Borderless project.

Borderless is Nexon Foundation’s social contribution initiative that moves beyond the boundaries of games and art, using game IP as a source of creative inspiration for artists
and supporting a range of creative practices and opportunities for audiences to engage with art.

Participants in the project included students studying traditional culture, such as trainees in national heritage restoration techniques and crafts and successors of National Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Drawing on Baram Nara’s characters and worldview, they created works using the traditional craft techniques each of them has been studying.

As a result, the works in this exhibition are not simply straightforward reproductions of game characters.
Its defining feature is that each artist reinterprets the IP of Baram Nara through the language of traditional craft.

In that sense, the distinctly Korean worldview that has continued through the game for 30 years meets traditional craft to reveal another side of Baram Nara.

3. Five Traditional Craft Works Inspired by Baram Nara

A total of five works were created through this collaboration.
Each one uses different traditional materials and techniques, while drawing on different motifs from Baram Nara.

Work	Motif	Participating Artist(s)	Traditional Technique
<A Thief, Riding the Wind>	Thief, squirrel	Yang Hoseong, Choi Hyoryeong, Han Hyein	Dry lacquer · lacquerware craft
<Pedestal of the Guardian Divine Beasts>	Four Guardian Beasts	Lee Solchan, Kim Jeongwoo	Ceramics · traditional roof tiles
<Collar Holding the Wind>	Four Guardian Beasts	Kim Heeseon	Traditional painting · illustration
<Panoramic Painting of the Dragon Legend>	Dragon Legend	An Yujin, Lee Dongmin	Dancheong · traditional painting
<A Sachet Carrying the Wishes of the Squirrel and Rabbit>	Squirrel and rabbit	An Eunjung	Traditional embroidery

From dry lacquer and lacquerware to ceramics, roof tiles, traditional painting, dancheong, and embroidery, each work employs a notably different visual approach.
Although these motifs are connected within a single in-game worldview,
it is also interesting to see how they take on distinct atmospheres when reimagined through the expressive language of traditional craft.

4. <Pedestal of the Guardian Divine Beasts>

One of the works that particularly stood out to me in this exhibition was <Pedestal of the Guardian Divine Beasts>.

This piece takes the Four Guardian Beasts of Baram Nara as its subject.

Using the clear, restrained feel of white porcelain together with traditional roof tiles marked by a rough, sandy texture,
the work depicts both the Four Guardian Beasts and the form of a traditional game board.

A closer look shows that the surface beneath the beasts is not a standard flat plane.
By combining the texture of traditional roof tiles, roof figurines, and ceramic forms, the piece reinterprets the Four Guardian Beasts and game imagery from Baram Nara in a new format.

The participating artists are Lee Solchan and Kim Jeongwoo. 
Lee Solchan works primarily with ceramics as a successor to the National Intangible Cultural Heritage tradition of pottery craftsmanship,
while Kim Jeongwoo continues work related to traditional roof tiles as a successor to the National Intangible Cultural Heritage tradition of tile-making.

It was especially notable to see how the two artists’ areas of expertise come together naturally within a single work.
By expressing the Four Guardian Beasts from the game through traditional materials such as ceramics and roof tiles,
the piece clearly reflects the exhibition’s overall intent.

5. <Collar Holding the Wind>

The second work I would like to highlight is <Collar Holding the Wind>.

This illustration reinterprets the Four Guardian Beasts of Baram Nara
as figures dressed in traditional clothing.

The distinct characteristics of each guardian beast are expressed through different figures and colors.
Behind each figure, the original form of the corresponding guardian beast also appears,
allowing viewers to compare the divine beasts from the game with their human-form interpretations within a single composition.

One of the most striking aspects is its use of color.
Traditional pigments were applied on silk, centered on the directional colors associated with the guardian beasts: blue, red, white, and black.
Clouds and flowing garments further reinforce the work’s mythic atmosphere.

To me, this felt like one of the works that most vividly conveys the name Baram Nara in visual form.
The wind-swept garments, clouds, and movement of the guardian beasts all appear within a single frame, giving the painting a strong sense of motion.

The artist is Kim Heeseon.
Working from a foundation in traditional painting, the artist expresses Korean color and narrative through contemporary illustration,
and this work likewise brings together the language of traditional painting and the characters of Baram Nara in a natural way.

6. Exhibition Goods Also Worth Noting

Visitors can also find Borderless goods related to Baram Nara at the exhibition.

Because these items are based on the traditional craft works, they make fitting commemorative pieces after viewing the exhibition.
However, the goods are not available for purchase on-site and can be purchased through Idus.

A portion of the proceeds from goods sales is used to support the participating artists’ continued creative activities.
For those who found a particular work especially memorable, the goods also offer a way to support emerging artists and their ongoing practice.

For Baram Nara players, the exhibition’s QR mission is also worth checking out.
It is designed as a palace exploration mission in which players take on the role of a peddler squirrel,
and completing it rewards visitors with a commemorative exhibition ticket as well as a game item coupon.

7. Recommended For

Above all, this is an exhibition that fans of Baram Nara are likely to enjoy.
Familiar motifs from the game, including the thief, squirrel, Four Guardian Beasts, and dragon,
have been recreated as traditional craft works, so those who know the original will find it rewarding to identify these elements within the pieces.

At the same time, the exhibition is not inaccessible to those who have never played Baram Nara.
The guardian beasts featured here—Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, and White Tiger—
are widely familiar motifs that many visitors are likely to recognize even without experience of the game.

In addition, because the IP of Baram Nara itself has remained known to the public over its 30 years of service,
the exhibition includes motifs that even those who have not played the game extensively may well have encountered before.
The Four Guardian Beasts, in particular, are among the first elements players encounter when creating a character,
making them one of the earliest motifs people meet in Baram Nara,
while the squirrel and rabbit are likewise familiar monsters that appear early in the game.

For long-time Baram Nara players,
the exhibition offers the appeal of seeing a familiar world in a new form,
while for those who have not played the game,
it offers the appeal of encountering familiar traditional motifs alongside beautifully crafted works.

8. Official Notice

More detailed information on the exhibition schedule, works, and on-site programs
can be found in the official notices from Baram Nara and Nexon Foundation.

https://baram.nexon.com/Notice/List/1/149790

https://borderless.nexonfoundation.org/news/proceeding/3532778

Borderless

Conclusion

《The Wind of Thirty, Carrying On Tradition》 is an exhibition that both commemorates the 30th anniversary of Baram Nara
and presents a new way for game IP and traditional crafts to come together.

Its significance lies especially in the fact that it does not simply recast game characters in traditional forms,
but instead invites emerging artists from different fields to reinterpret Baram Nara through the traditional techniques they have studied.

Encountering Baram Nara, a game that has been with audiences for 30 years,
through the entirely different medium of traditional craft is likely to offer a notably fresh perspective.

Image source: Nexon Foundation Instagram