In modern society, the meaning of 'companionship' is no longer limited to person-to-person relationships; it has expanded to include animals and even plants. With more people staying at home due to COVID-19, evidence that companion animals and plants help alleviate negative emotions such as depression and anxiety has increased their popularity.

Paintings of plants and animals that provide comfort and small moments of happiness can be seen at the Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) Natural History Museum. From the 16th, an exhibition titled "Companionship 伴侶, Friends That Become Pairs" will run through February next year in the Natural History Museum's lobby exhibition hall.

The exhibition features 18 botanical illustrations created by participants of the Natural History Museum's 2021 Botanical Illustration Class, who observed and lovingly rendered their subjects on paper, and eight companion-animal works drawn by students from the Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) College of Veterinary Medicine's art club.

Park Jin-ho, director of the Natural History Museum at JBNU, said, "We prepared this to offer some comfort to bodies and minds exhausted by daily life," adding, "I hope this exhibition provides psychological satisfaction and emotional stability, helps visitors recognize the value and importance of life, and becomes an opportunity for them to pay more attention to their own companions."