[Photo] Masks and the new normal

A husband and wife wearing masks in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on Oct. 4. (Baek Hong-ki)

Thanks to COVID-19, masks have become a daily essential. Over 40 photographers have embarked on a project to capture the reality of this new normal. People wearing masks are now everywhere, from cities to rural farming villages, schools to offices, hospitals to funeral parlors. The spirit of the project is not only to capture this new reality but to also express the hopes of everyone for a return to normal, when we can go about our lives without being hampered by masks. Is humanity destined to never show its face again? The photos from this project will be exhibited at the Kyungin Museum of Fine Art in Seoul from Nov. 24 to 30.

By Kang Jae-hoon, staff photographer

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]

The Sosu Seowon Confucian Academy in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, on July 4. (Shim Yang-jin)

A Bengali family at Seoul National University on Oct. 3. (Park Tae-seong)

A marketplace in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, on Oct. 13. (Kim Kwang-ju)

An elderly couple in a rural community in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province, on Nov. 13, 2020. (Kang Jae-hoon)

A walking event to raise awareness about suicide on Sept. 10. (Kim Hye-ri)

Worshippers at a cathedral in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, on Aug. 1. (Kang Yeon-sil)