North Korea Portraits

I have just completed the first in a series of portraits of North Koreans that I am currently working on. I was lucky enough to be able to meet with people from a cross-section of society when I visited the country last year - the first foreign artist, I believe, to be granted such access. I am exploring different faces of the secretive country, and hoping to provide a glimpse into the lives of its citizens.

Pae Yun Sok is a worker at the Hungnam Fertiliser Complex in Hamhung, North Korea – the country’s largest fertiliser plant, with around 7,300 employees. It was founded during Japanese occupation in 1927, then completely destroyed during the Korean War and rebuilt in the 50s. Pae Yun Sok has worked there for over 35 years.