Haejae Debbie Oh is a South Korean self-taught artist, office worker and writer.

She graduated from Ewha Womans University with both BA and MA degrees. Without any formal education in art, she has drawn illustrations since 2014. Starting with the Asia Contemporary Art Show (2019, Hong Kong), she has joined various domestic and foreign art events. She won the Gold Prize (Artist Group) for the “World Charity Painting Competition: Fight COVID-19” (2020, Singapore), and was chosen as the “artist of the 1st selection” for the 3rd COCA Project (2021, Italy). In 2023, she was awarded a “special selection” prize for the 3rd Buddhist & Folk Painting Competition in South Korea, as well as the 2nd Prize of the Outsider Art VR Exhibition in Hong Kong; she also became a selected artist for the Climate Art Collection (CAC) in Germany in the same year.

She has been working at the Korean National Commission for UNESCO since 2007, and wrote two artbooks: I Am a Self-taught Artist (2021), and The Bookshelf of the Self-taught Artist: Reading the Outsider Art (2022). She also regularly contributes art critiques and columns. Based on her long-standing international work experiences and MA degree (multicultural/intercultural studies), she is eager to blend oriental and occidental cultures through her art.

Joining the Asian Art Association Singapore (Painting) in 2020, she was the judge for the World Heritage Painting Competition 2023.

Awards
• 2023: 2nd Prize Winner of the Outsider Art VR Exhibition (Hong Kong)
• 2023: Selection for the Climate Art Collection (CAC) (Berlin, Germany)
• 2023: Special Selection for the 3rd Buddhist & Folk Painting Competition (Seoul, South Korea)
• 2021: 1st Selection for the 3rd COCA Project (Rome, Italy)
• 2020: Gold Prize winner (Artist Group) of the World Charity Painting Competition: Fight COVID-19 (Singapore)

Solo Exhibitions
• 2024: A Star Shines in Every Step (Seoul, South Korea)
• 2023: Outsider Art Solo VR Exhibition for the Prize Winner (Hong Kong)
• 2022: Connect, Communicate, Collaborate (Seoul, South Korea)
• 2016: 1 Cup Memory, 1 Tablespoon Daydream (Seoul, South Korea)
• 2015: Good Morning, Ms. Worldwide (Seoul, South Korea)

Group Exhibition
• 2023: Outsider Art VR Exhibition (Hong Kong)
• 2023: Bincan Showroom Exhibition (Seoul, South Korea)
• 2023: 11th Buddha Art Fair (Seoul, South Korea)
• 2022: 2022 ARIA FAM (Free Art Market) Exhibition (Seoul, South Korea)
• 2022: 10th Buddha Art Fair (Seoul, South Korea)
• 2022: 2nd Future Art Festival with Metaverse: Independence of Youth Artists (South Korea)
• 2021: World Charity Painting Exhibition 2021: Fight COVID-19 (Taipei, Taiwan)
• 2019: Asia Contemporary Art Show (Hong Kong)
• 2019: Imaginary Silk Road - from Shan-hai Ching to Tarot (Seoul, South Korea)

Senior Programme Specialist, Korean National Commission for UNESCO (2007-)

Education
• 2019: M.A. in Multicultural/Intercultural Studies at Ewha Womans University (South Korea)
• 2007: B.A. in English Language & Literature (minor in Journalism) at Ewha Womans University (South Korea)

Certificate
• 2023: Tarot Psychological Counselor (1st-degree / Korea Psychology Education Institute)

Publications
• 2022: The Bookshelf of the Self-taught Artist: Reading the Outsider Art (written in Korean)
• 2021: I Am a Self-taught Artist (written in Korean)
• 2019: Pitbull: a Cuban who became an American icon - Living with myself in a transnational age (written in Korean)
• 2017: 70-Year History of UNESCO: Reading with 23 Keywords (written in Korean)

Translation
• 2010: World Heritage: Challenges for the Millennium (English-Korean co-translation)