Bae Bien-u (born May 22, 1950) is a South Korean photographer. He is a professor in Seoul Institute of the Arts.
Early life and career
Bae was born in Suncheon and grew up in Yeosu, Jeollanam-do in 1950, and graduated from Hongik University's College of Arts in 1974 and the graduate school of the same university in 1976.
He was a professional photographer whose focused primarily on pine trees.
He became better-known outside of South Korea after selling one of his pine tree photographs to English singer Elton John in 2005. Former South Korean president Lee Myung-bak later gave a collection of Bae's pine tree photographs to U.S. president Barack Obama during a summit held in Washington.
↑흑백 사진에 담긴 자연…배병우 개인전 ‘WINDSCAPE’《SBS뉴스》2013년10월11일. Nature contained in black & white photograph, Personal exhibition by Bae Bien-U, ‘WINDSCAPE’ 《SBS News》
↑사진작가 배병우, “자연스러운 소나무 곡선이 한국의 美” 《매일경제》2011-10-02. Photographic Artist Bae Bien-U, “The natural curvatures of the pine tree illustrating the aesthetics of Korea”
↑소나무 작가 배병우, 다음 사진은 '남해안' Pine tree professional photographer, Bae Bien-U. The next photograph is the 'Southern Coast of Korea'
↑4개국서 동시 사진전 여는 배병우 사진작가 《서울신문》27면 2012-06-21. Professional photographer Bae Bien-U, holding simultaneous photographic exhibitions in 4 different countries 《Seoul Shinmun》