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《Winds at Thirty, Carrying Tradition Forward》

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, The Kingdom of the Winds takes on a distinctive new form.

The Nexon Foundation’s social contribution initiative “Borderless” and the Korea National University of Heritage have partnered to present
《Winds at Thirty, Carrying Tradition Forward》, an exhibition reinterpreting The Kingdom of the Winds through traditional crafts, at Gyejodang Hall in Gyeongbokgung Palace.

The exhibition features works that depict the game’s characters and world using traditional craft materials and techniques,
inviting visitors to discover how familiar sights from The Kingdom of the Winds are transformed through traditional culture.

1. Essential Exhibition Information

《Winds at Thirty, Carrying Tradition Forward》

• Exhibition Dates: Wednesday, September 9 – Monday, September 21, 2026

• Venue: Gyejodang Hall, Gyeongbokgung Palace

• Opening Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

• Last Admission: 5 p.m.

• Palace Closed: Tuesdays

• Exhibition Admission: Free

• Gyeongbokgung Palace Admission: 3,000 won

• Ages 24 and Under: Free admission to Gyeongbokgung Palace

On September 9, the exhibition will open to visitors at 3 p.m. following the opening ceremony,
with admission beginning at 9:30 a.m. on subsequent days.

The exhibition itself is free, but because it is held inside Gyeongbokgung Palace,
visitors must pay the separate palace admission fee.

2. Bringing The Kingdom of the Winds and Traditional Crafts Together

The exhibition was organized to celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Kingdom of the Winds
and support emerging artists’ creative work through the Nexon Foundation’s Borderless initiative.

Borderless bridges games and art by offering game IP as a source of creative inspiration for artists.
It is a social contribution initiative by the Nexon Foundation that supports a range of creative activities and opportunities to experience art.

The project brought together students of traditional culture, including heritage repair technicians and craftspeople, as well as graduates of National Intangible Heritage training programs.
Drawing on the characters and world of The Kingdom of the Winds, they created works using the traditional craft techniques they are studying.

The resulting works go beyond straightforward reproductions of game characters.
What distinguishes them is each artist’s reinterpretation of The Kingdom of the Winds IP through the language of their own traditional craft.

Bringing traditional crafts together with a distinctly Korean game world that has endured for 30 years, the exhibition reveals another side of The Kingdom of the Winds.

3. 5 Traditional Craft Works Inspired by The Kingdom of the Winds

The collaboration has produced a total of 5 works.
Each uses different traditional materials and techniques and draws on a different subject from The Kingdom of the Winds.

Work	Subject	Participating Artists	Traditional Techniques
<Rogue, Riding the Wind>	Rogue, squirrel	Yang Ho-seong, Choi Hyo-ryeong, Han Hye-in	Dry lacquer and lacquerwork
<Statues of the Guardian Beasts Protecting the Realm>	Four guardian beasts	Lee Sol-chan, Kim Jeong-woo	Ceramics and traditional roof tiles
<Collars Holding the Wind>	Four guardian beasts	Kim Hee-seon	Traditional painting and illustration
<Panorama of the Dragon Legend>	용전설	An Yu-jin, Lee Dong-min	Dancheong and traditional painting
<An Angular Pouch Holding the Wishes of Squirrels and Rabbits>	Squirrels and rabbits	An Eun-jeong	Traditional embroidery

From dry lacquer and lacquerwork to ceramics, roof tiles, traditional painting, dancheong, and embroidery, the works employ a wide range of expressive techniques.
Their subjects all belong to the same game world,
but their transformation through traditional crafts gives each piece a distinct character—another highlight of the exhibition.

4. <Statues of the Guardian Beasts Protecting the Realm>

One work that particularly caught my attention was <Statues of the Guardian Beasts Protecting the Realm>.

The piece takes the four guardian beasts of The Kingdom of the Winds as its subject.

The work combines the purity and elegance of white porcelain with the rough, sandy texture of traditional roof tiles
to depict the four guardian beasts and the form of a traditional game board.

A closer look reveals that the surface beneath the four guardian beasts is not a conventional flat plane.
The combination of traditional roof-tile textures, decorative roof figurines, and ceramic forms offers a new interpretation of the four guardian beasts and imagery from The Kingdom of the Winds.

The participating artists are Lee Sol-chan and Kim Jeong-woo. 
Lee Sol-chan, a graduate of the National Intangible Heritage pottery-making training program, works primarily in ceramics,
while Kim Jeong-woo, a graduate of the National Intangible Heritage roof-tile-making training program, works with traditional roof tiles.

I found the seamless integration of the two artists’ areas of expertise particularly compelling.
Its use of traditional ceramics and roof tiles to depict the game’s four guardian beasts
makes this work, in my view, a clear expression of the exhibition’s purpose.

5. <Collars Holding the Wind>

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

This illustration reinterprets the four guardian beasts of The Kingdom of the Winds
as human figures in traditional dress.

Each guardian beast’s characteristics are conveyed through a distinct figure and color palette.
The beasts’ original forms appear behind the figures,
allowing viewers to compare the game’s guardian beasts with their human representations in a single composition.

The use of color is particularly striking.
Painted on silk with traditional pigments, the work centers on blue, vermilion, white, and black—the colors associated with the four guardian beasts’ cardinal directions.
Clouds and flowing garments enhance the mythological atmosphere.

To me, this was one of the works that most effectively conveys the name The Kingdom of the Winds in visual form.
The windblown garments, clouds, and movements of the four guardian beasts come together to give the still image a sense of motion.

The artist is Kim Hee-seon.
With a practice rooted in traditional painting, the artist brings Korean colors and stories into contemporary illustration.
This work likewise combines traditional painting techniques with the characters of The Kingdom of the Winds in a natural, cohesive way.

6. Exhibition Merchandise and Activities

Visitors can also view Borderless merchandise inspired by The Kingdom of the Winds at the exhibition.

Based on the traditional craft works, these items are worth exploring as souvenirs after viewing the exhibition.
Please note that merchandise cannot be purchased at the venue; it is available for purchase through idus.

A portion of the proceeds from merchandise sales will support the participating artists’ ongoing creative work.
For visitors drawn to a particular piece, purchasing merchandise offers another way to support these emerging artists.

Players of The Kingdom of the Winds may also wish to take part in the QR missions during their visit.
Participants assume the role of a peddler squirrel, completing missions as they explore the palace grounds.
Those who complete the missions can receive a commemorative exhibition ticket and a coupon for in-game items.

7. Who Should Visit

The exhibition will particularly appeal to those who enjoy The Kingdom of the Winds.
Familiar subjects—including rogues, squirrels, the four guardian beasts, and dragons—
have been reimagined as traditional craft works, allowing players to discover recognizable elements from the game in each piece.

Visitors who have never played The Kingdom of the Winds will also find familiar references.
The four guardian beasts featured here—the Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, and White Tiger—
are figures visitors may recognize even without knowing the game.

The Kingdom of the Winds IP has also had a public presence throughout its 30 years of service,
so visitors may recognize subjects in the exhibition even if they have spent little time playing the game themselves.
Players choose one of the four guardian beasts when first creating a character,
making these among the first figures they encounter in The Kingdom of the Winds.
Squirrels and rabbits are likewise familiar monsters encountered early in the game.

For longtime players of The Kingdom of the Winds,
the exhibition offers an opportunity to see a familiar world in a new form.
For those who have never played,
I believe its appeal lies in the combination of familiar traditional subjects and beautifully crafted works.

8. Official Announcements

Further details on the exhibition schedule, works, and on-site programs
are available in the official announcements from The Kingdom of the Winds and the Nexon Foundation.

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

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

Borderless

Closing Remarks

《Winds at Thirty, Carrying Tradition Forward》 celebrates the 30th anniversary of The Kingdom of the Winds
while demonstrating a new way to bring game IP and traditional crafts together.

Its significance lies in going beyond simply giving game characters a traditional appearance:
emerging artists from different fields have drawn on the traditional techniques they have studied to reinterpret The Kingdom of the Winds.

After 30 years of experiencing The Kingdom of the Winds as a game,
discovering it through the entirely different medium of traditional crafts offers a distinctive new perspective.

Image source: Nexon Foundation Instagram