Hyundai Museum of Kids’ Books & Art (MOKA) is pleased to present the archive collection of OPLA. Since 1997, OPLA has been collecting and researching artists’ books. OPLA stands for Osasi Per Libri Artistici, an “oasis for artistic books.” The archive currently holds more than 800 items, ranging from well-known books to art-historically valuable books and rare collectible books. In many ways, OPLA’s archive collection is a preservation of cultural heritage. With Oasis at MOKA, MOKA introduces this archive collection in Korea for the very first time. We hope to broaden our understanding of books that double as artwork.

In these books, artists interpret the world through a child’s perspective and express those interpretations in their languages. Oasis at MOKA, presents artists’ books under six different themes: ‘Careful Observation,’ ‘Witty Imagination,’ ‘Curious Symbols,’ ‘New Formats,’ and ‘Experimental Games.’ Each theme explores how artists observe their surroundings, imagine new stories, reinterpret symbols anew, transform the format of books, exercise unique techniques, and enjoy the creative process just as one might play a game. While looking at what artists express and how they express them, we invite you to ask: Can I think like an artist too?

The beautiful books in Oasis at MOKA, present us with new and interesting perspectives. The range of messages these artists have left for us in the OPLA archive collection is a breath of fresh air. They refresh our creative senses just as an oasis might for travelers in desert lands.