This post was created as part of Nexon PEAK activities.

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This article focuses on emerging artists through a look at [Winds of Thirty, Carrying Tradition Forward], an exhibition organized by the Nexon Foundation in collaboration with emerging traditional craft artists to celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Kingdom of the Winds.

[Winds of Thirty, Carrying Tradition Forward]: The Kingdom of the Winds X Nexon Foundation Borderless X Korea National University of Cultural Heritage

The exhibition is part of the Nexon Foundation's ongoing Borderless project, a community initiative that gives emerging traditional craft artists opportunities to create work and audiences opportunities to enjoy it.

With this goal in mind, [Winds of Thirty, Carrying Tradition Forward] brings together Nexon's game IP and emerging artists, who use it as creative inspiration for works that reflect their individual styles. This edition celebrates the 30th anniversary of The Kingdom of the Winds through a collaboration between the game, the Nexon Foundation's Borderless project, and Korea National University of Cultural Heritage.

[Winds of Thirty, Carrying Tradition Forward]: Exhibition Dates and Venue

• Venue: Gyejodang Hall, Gyeongbokgung Palace

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

• Exhibition hours: 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. / Last admission to Gyeongbokgung Palace is at 5 p.m. The palace is closed on Tuesdays.

• Exhibition admission: Free / Admission to Gyeongbokgung Palace costs 3,000 won and is free for visitors aged 24 and under.

[Winds of Thirty, Carrying Tradition Forward]: Works on Display

The exhibition features 15 works: 5 traditional craft pieces inspired by The Kingdom of the Winds and 10 works by students from the Department of Traditional Arts and Crafts at Korea National University of Cultural Heritage. The participating students are described as accomplished practitioners, including certified heritage repair technicians and craftspeople, as well as those who have completed training in National Intangible Heritage practices.

Below are the 5 works featured on the official website, with summaries of their descriptions and links to the artists' Instagram accounts in their names.

• Artists: Yang Ho-sung / Choi Hyo-ryeong / Han Hye-in

• Combines the Rogue, a signature class in The Kingdom of the Winds, with the game's iconic squirrel NPC

• Builds on traditional dry-lacquer methods with a range of lacquer techniques, including raw and black lacquer

• Combines traditional materials such as mother-of-pearl, paulownia wood, and brass sheets

• Artist: Ahn Eun-jeong

• Incorporates the squirrels and rabbits of The Kingdom of the Winds into traditional Korean cornered pouches

• Highlights the harmony between game characters and traditional motifs in these traditional Korean cornered pouches

• Artists: Ahn Yu-jin / Lee Dong-min

• Reinterprets the 용전설 boss monsters from The Kingdom of the Winds using traditional Korean dancheong and painting techniques

• Depicts four dragons through the visual artistry of dancheong and the symbolism of the five traditional colors

• Combines techniques used in traditional architecture with modern game content

• Artists: Lee Sol-chan / Kim Jeong-woo

• Draws inspiration from the Four Guardian Beasts of The Kingdom of the Winds

• Combines tiles featuring three patterns and colors from the game with traditional brick forms

• Uses different types of clay and firing methods to give each piece its own distinctive colors and textures

• Artist: Kim Hee-sun

• Personifies the Four Guardian Beasts of The Kingdom of the Winds in traditional attire

• Reinterprets the directions, colors, and symbolism associated with each of the Four Guardian Beasts

• Emphasizes a mythical atmosphere, with a focus on conveying the colors of the four directions

The exhibition offers a chance to see the original works shown above alongside other pieces. Viewing them in person offers a different experience, so I encourage anyone interested to visit.

What makes this collaboration particularly striking is its focus on The Kingdom of the Winds. The game's setting has close ties to Korean traditions, and I appreciate how effectively both the venue and the beautifully crafted works reflect those connections. I found the 용 전설 paintings especially impressive and looked up the originals, whose atmosphere I also appreciated.

The works are impressive in their own right, but I believe the exhibition will be particularly enjoyable and meaningful for anyone interested in traditional Korean crafts or with fond memories of playing The Kingdom of the Winds.

[Winds of Thirty, Carrying Tradition Forward]: Online Catalog and Photo Zone Events at the Exhibition

Alongside viewing the artworks, visitors can take part in an event by scanning QR codes at the exhibition to access the online catalog, then answering questions to complete missions. Visitors who complete all the missions can collect an in-game coupon for The Kingdom of the Winds and physical merchandise at the reward booth in front of Gyejodang Hall.

Visitors can also participate in a photo zone event on Instagram by sharing photos of their exhibition visit. The draw offers some attractive prizes, making it worth considering for anyone attending.

[Winds of Thirty, Carrying Tradition Forward]: Collaboration Merchandise Available Online

Finally, Borderless merchandise created for this collaboration and inspired by the traditional craft pieces is available to purchase on the idus website. These items can be viewed at the exhibition, but they can only be purchased through the website.

These items will be available to purchase until December 31 of this year.

Thank you for reading.

Sources Consulted for This Article

• Nexon Foundation Official Website

• Nexon Foundation Instagram

• idus Website