"Failed Art School? Selling My Art for 30,000 Won"... The SNS Challenge Everyone Is Joining

Prices Range from 5,000 to 10 Million Won
Popular Works Auctioned Through Comments
A New Gateway for Promoting Unknown Artworks

"Project to Pay Back Art Academy Fees to My Parents After Failing Art School Entrance Exams."

This is the Instagram profile introduction of a teenage woman who runs the account @art_failer, where she uploads her own artwork. Within just one week of launching her account, about 7,500 followers started paying attention to her paintings. The post that went viral features a video selling her piece titled "Between Scylla and Charybdis" for 30,000 won.

A netizen uploaded a video selling a piece of artwork they personally created for 30,000 won. Instagram screenshot @art_failer

She used acrylic paint to vividly depict the underwater whirlpool that appeared in the movie "Odyssey." This artwork quickly went viral, recording 89,000 views, and even attracted actual buyers. The video received enthusiastic praise from viewers, with comments such as, "I thought it was a photograph," and "If she can't get into an art school, who can?"

From Elementary School Students to Retirees in Their 60s... The Short-Form Art Market Attracts All Ages

Recently, social networking services (SNS) have been seeing a rapid spread of a trend where people introduce and sell paintings they've created themselves, posting the phrase "Painting for Sale" along with short-form videos.

Videos of the 'Painting Sale' challenge uploaded on SNS. Instagram captures

The typical format is to initially cover the canvas so the picture isn’t visible, and after about three seconds, flip the painting in time with the background music to reveal the work. At that moment, text such as "Painting for Sale" and the actual selling price, like "X0,000 won," is prominently displayed on screen.

Participants come from a wide range of backgrounds. Not only professional artists and prospective art school students, but also office workers who paint as a hobby, a 60-year-old woman who always dreamed of becoming a Minhwa (Korean folk painting) artist, seniors picking up a brush for the first time after retirement, and even elementary school students showcasing their colored pencil drawings are taking part and exhibiting their skills.

Those who are new to drawing as a hobby and unsure how to price their first pieces sometimes opt for an auction format. One netizen who painted “The Season Not Sweet” announced, "Starting my first painting auction," beginning with a bid of 1,000 won and soon receiving comments offering as high as 50,000 won. The artist also notified viewers, "I will select the winning bidder at midnight on September 5."

A video was uploaded claiming that a picture was created by a netizen's pet dog. Instagram capture @iam_bbang_

Not only people, but also pets are involved in creating unique artworks that are now gaining popularity. In a comical video titled "Selling Paintings to Buy Sweet Potatoes for a Duck," one user shared footage of their dog walking across a canvas with paint-covered paws. This drew comments such as, "This is worth at least 10,000 won," and "Seeing the dedicated painting process of Bbangyi, the dog, makes me trust the work."

The Previously Professional Domain of 'Art' Evolves into a Taste-Driven Consumer Trend

This phenomenon aligns with the recent trend among younger generations of visiting art school graduation exhibitions and collecting artwork as a new cultural hobby. What was once seen as a privilege reserved for a handful of collectors has expanded into a popular pastime where ordinary people discover and own works that suit their individual tastes.

1400 x 660. Instagram capture @totoolike

This shift is evident in the numbers. Last year, six out of every ten visitors to the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art belonged to the 2030 generation (20s and 30s). According to the "2025 Art Market Consumer Survey: Art Fair Visitor Analysis" published by the Arts Management Support Center, 39.3% of those who actually purchased artworks last year were in their teens to thirties.

The art industry is welcoming this SNS-based "art sale" trend. According to one industry insider, "Art, once regarded as a space monopolized by a select few, now has the potential to offer great opportunities for both unknown emerging artists and the general public."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.