Key Points
- Jung Eun-hye is a Korean caricature artist and one of the stars of the series “Our Blues” streaming on Netflix
- In the drama, she plays a character with Down syndrome who has a talent for drawing
- A new documentary, “Please Make Me Look Pretty”, explores how art helped Eun-hye connect with others
Jung Eun-hye had never acted before but, despite some difficulty memorising lines, there was no sign of stage fright.
"I wanted to act with the senior actors, and I didn't feel nervous," she told SBS Korean.
The “Our Blues” star visited Australia this month to partake in a caricature exhibition, a screening of the recent “Please Make Me Look Pretty” documentary, and an artist conversation at the Korean Cultural Centre Australia.
“Our Blues” centres on Lee Young-ok (played by Han Ji-min), a guilt-riddled young woman who is trying to hide that her twin sister, Young-hee (Eun-hye), has Down syndrome. However, when Young-hee visits Young-ok’s village, she is well-liked and embraced by all as part of the community.
Like the character she plays, Eun-hye has Down syndrome. She also has a knack for art.
Her artistic talent was spotted early by her parents, who encouraged her to set up a booth and draw caricatures of market-goers.
That’s how she came to be on the radar of “Our Blues” screenwriter Noh Hee-kyung.
In 2020, Hee-kyung visited Eun-hye's solo exhibition with the plan to buy a picture and interview the artist as part of her research on working with actors with Down syndrome.
Charmed, she ended up creating the role of Young-hee with Eun-hye in mind.
Jung Eun-hye is a Korean caricature artist and one of the stars of the series “Our Blues” Credit: SBS Korean
Drama meets reality
Eun-hye was accompanied in Australia by her mother, Jang Cha Hyun Sil, and stepfather, Seo Dong-il,
"Young-hee in the drama was not a new person, but the same Eun-hye that my family has always known," Cha Hyun Sil told SBS Korean.
“Screenwriter Noh Hee-kyung captured Eun-hye's life as a person with developmental disabilities living in the 21st century. My family and I cried a lot while watching this drama
It really felt like Eun-hye, who likes to knit and meet people, was there on the screen.Eun-hye's mother, Jang Cha Hyun Sil
However, there are some differences between drama and reality.
In the series, Young-hee begs her younger sister to make money to pay for her to get cosmetic surgery. In contrast, Eun-hye says she likes her appearance just as it is.
Dong-il believes the series has helped spread awareness of Down syndrome.
"There are so many people who love Eun-hye that I wonder if the existence of people with developmental disabilities and Down syndrome has ever been so well-known in Korean society."
For Eun-hye, fame has brought noticeable change.
"My life has become busier due to my schedule, and people often recognise me on the road, which is good, but also a little burdensome."
Communicating through pictures
Eun-hye has been drawing portraits at the Yangpyeong Munho-ri River Market in Gyeonggi Province, Korea, since 2016.
Her parents saw it as a great way to foster Eun-hye's creativity and encourage socialisation.
Dong-il said, "When Eun-hye draws a picture and receives positive feedback from the people who ordered it, her self-esteem increases.”
"Before, Eun-hye would stay in her room alone, disconnected from all social relationships due to difficulties in verbal communication," he said, describing his stepdaughter’s room as a “cave”.
Mother Cha Hyun Sil is a cartoonist who runs a studio that teaches children how to paint.
One day, she offered Eun-hye an allowance if she would come to the studio to help clean up.
However, instead of carrying out her chores, Eun-hye became captivated by the children drawing.
Once the students left, Eun-hye would work on her own art.
"When I saw Eun-hye painting, I realised that teaching was meaningless," Cha Hyun Sil explained.
"It was more important for me to create an environment and help Eun-hye draw than teach her anything."
From left: Seo Dong-il, Jung Eun-hye and Jang Cha Hyun Sil Credit: SBS Korean
‘Please Make Me Look Pretty’
Eun-hye is also the star of “Please Make Me Look Pretty”, a documentary directed by her stepfather and produced by her mother, which premiered at the 2020 Busan International Film Festival.
The film follows her in the process of setting up shop and drawing caricatures at the market. Eun-hye's parents estimate she has drawn portraits of more than 4,000 people.
Dong-il previously directed the documentaries "Pink Palace" and "The Disobeying Teacher", and received the Audience Award at 2013 Seoul Independent Film Festival and Judge Award at the 2014 Seoul Independent Film Festival.
“Ever since Eun-hye was born, there have been people who feel she doesn’t belong; who ask, what’s her role in this world? There have been many curious eyes, people looking at her as an inferior being,” he said.
But Eun-hye is proving herself through art. She is expanding her art world on her own and inviting people into it.Documentary filmmaker Seo Dong-il, Eun-hye's stepfather
Dong-il said he wanted the documentary to talk about “how art saved Eun-hye's life".
Eun-hye's mother added, "The Moonho-ri River Market, where she paints, is a beautiful place from a distance, but it is a harsh place when you get close."
She explained that the artists there work all day without air conditioning or fans in summer, while in winter they must wear gloves it’s so cold.
However, Eun-hye has never been deterred.
"To this day Eun-hye is still painting there, meeting people and growing up,” her mother said.
According to Dong-il, before “Our Blues” Korean society looked upon people like Eun-hye as “strange, unfamiliar and difficult to approach.”
But now she receives warm attention for at Munho-ri River Market, which has enabled her to grow as an artist.
Cha Hyun Sil said, “Now when Eun-hye paints, she sees she is no different from others."
Sydney visit
Eun-hye's visit to Australia from 10-16 October came at the invitation of GP Entertainment and Dolbom NDIS Day Activity Centre.
In anticipation of “Please Make Me Look Pretty”, the organisers held a portrait contest that received almost 120 submissions.
The event organisers in Sydney held a portrait contest that received almost 120 submissions. Credit: Leeseo & momentwith photographer
In Munho-ri, she paints alongside 20 other artists with developmental disabilities. They go to work at 9am every morning and earn minimum wage.
Dong-il added that Eun-hye had already bought a gift for a male colleague at the duty-free shop.
Cha Hyun Sil said, "The visit to Australia is the furthest Eun-hye has travelled in her life. We have felt loved and welcomed by the Korean people in Australia.”
Eun-hye shared a message for her followers, "My fans like me very much because I am a great actor and artist, and a wonderful person. I am grateful, I respect and love you."
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