KAA member Joohee Chun is participating in the “Exclusive Asian Art” exhibition, 31 Jan – 12 Feb 2012 at HF Contemporary Art, Lauderdale House, Waterlow Park, Highgate Hill, London N6 5HG. (Archway tube)
Category: News and Events
Soo Ji Shin (신수지) at Canary Wharf
Under the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf there’s a busy shopping centre. In amongst the arcades there are window displays which advertise some of the shops. But there are also art and design displays which are open daily and showcase up-and-coming artists, designers and craftspeople. Soo Ji Shin is exhibiting her chandeliers and lighting designs in the Lightbox Gallery during January and February.
Date: 5 Jan – 24 Feb 2012
Venue: Lightbox Gallery, Canada Walk, Canada Place
http://www.canarywharf.com/visitus/Public–Art/Events/
www.soojis.com
Soo Ji’s designs are fresh and unusual. She strives to bring movement to ordinarily motionless lighting. Chandeliers look as if they are sea creatures that gather when people feed them. Soo Ji’s designs are all bespoke, made by her own hand sewing.
Myung Nam An (안명남) at the Mall Galleries
The Society of Designer Craftsmen has an annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries. Among the exhibitors this year is SDC Ceramics Licentiate and KAA member Myung-nam AN:
Designer Crafts at the Mall 2012
At The Mall Galleries, The Mall, London SW1
Friday 6th to Sunday 15th January 2012
This winter craft exhibition, presented by the Society of Designer Craftsmen, is recognised as a leading platform for the best talent in ceramics, furniture, jewellery, glass and textiles. Celebrated and experienced makers are shown alongside recent graduates, which makes for a stimulating and exciting exhibition. All work is for sale and ‘The Shop within the Show’ returns, offering a range of handmade crafts.
Statement by Myung-nam AN:
Art is a lifestyle for me. Everything that surrounds and excites me is automatically processed and transformed into the final result: an artwork. It is fascinating to watch the transitions from life to art. The essence of my work is the human being and their everyday life. I find ceramic to be the most versatile material and it is suited to express my ideas. Working in clay is really deep and has much to interest me: philosophy, technique – so much.
In my work, I like to tell stories using symbols which are universal, when you look at my work you could tell your own story, and would interpret what you see in your own way and each work in the series is created to evoke a different moods and emotions. I am exploring abstract appropriated images from our culture and translating these onto the surface of my work. I feel that they address or allude to specific ideals that interest me. It has always been my goal as an artist to make work that speaks to the viewer on a deeper level.
My works are a step in my ongoing growth toward a personal and unique approach to clay. It is my hope that these images will provoke thought in the viewer. The characteristics and limitations of the materials is a fundamental issue for me. I make use of a working process which is based on analysis and experience. I approach my work in a formal and aesthetic way. That does not mean that emotionality and sensuality are set aside – on the contrary, I go for a cool expression with sensitive undertones and thereby join an abstract, new formalistic movement in contemporary art.
Links:
Delayed Sojourn – London, home away from home
An annual exhibition by Korean Artists Association UK
Korean Cultural Centre UK
2nd – 8th December 2011
(Private view: Friday 02. 12. 2011, 6.30 – 8.30 pm)
RSVP to koreanartuk@gmail.com
Delayed Sojourn – London, home away from home represents 16 artists who have various background and diverse media, such as sculpture, painting, photography, film, design, textile, ceramic, architecture organised by KAA UK (The Korean Artists Association in UK).
Artists: Bada Song, Hyun Jun Kim, Hyunseok Lee, Jean Kim, Joohee Chun, Joon Hwan Lim, Jung-Gyun Chae, Kitty Jun-im McLaughlin, Miso Park, Myung Nam An, Shera Hyunyim Park, Soo Ji Shin, Soon Yul Kang, Sun Kim, Unmi Li, Yonghyun Lim (Jackie)
Bada Song
I use a range of media to build series in modules. This allows singularities to distinguish themselves from similar and gain identity through difference. For Delayed Sojourn I adapted this process to Korean language in a translation of the famous verb list deployed in 1968 by American sculptor Richard Serra.
Hyun Jun Kim
The installation of the fish bowls is accompanied by the notes and photographs. It speculates the personal journey to find a home in London through the repetitive process of relocation. It translates the trajectory of the homes into the suspended fish bowls where a fish swarms while keeping a constant distance to another. It creates the systematic illusion, the artificial cloud or the collective wish of ‘swarming-together’.
Hyunseok Lee
My art work as a form of animation narrative seeks to cross the boundary between reality and the abstract world, and is in some senses an ‘Animated Spiritual Documentary’. This artwork as a form of a short animation film, falls into four parts, each with a different content, with the final part moving from an interpretation of the spiritual journey and environment to a representation of a spiritual experience, I have focused on exploring the representation of the Buddhist’s philosophical principles and sacred experience by dramatising abstract and surreal environments.
Jean Kim
Long and winding roads
Off she goes
Naked as she is
Dancing to the city rhythms
Oh, here she comes
Naked as she is
Joohee Chun
I contain and seal my feelings and thoughts in the transparent layers of my paintings to create an ‘affect’ without the need for words. There are always spiritual inspiration, desire, hope which are suppressed any negative parts of my inner emotions in my painting to overcome current situation.
Joon Hwan Lim
There are many different people who were born different country and cultures, which have relationship each other in London. I re-interpreted such diversity to cultural flowing as various ships.
Jung-Gyun Chae
I am attempting to reinterpret Korean aesthetics by modernizing it via the Eastern mind by means of sculpture, installation and what I term “Film-Painting”. I started my work with painting but added projection of film on to sculpture later. This will become a coexistent place of meeting between the object and the film.
Kitty Jun-im McLaughlin
The essence of Kitty’s work derives from her integration of the duality of her experience of Korean and British culture, weaving them together to present an original and imaginative retelling of the influence of experience on the subject. The rich, tactile surfaces of her paintings, composed of rhythmic, linear elements cross the canvas in layers of Korean Hanji paper.
Miso Park
Many overseas students’; lives are suspended like dust in the air; they live with solitude, economic distress, anonymity and the difficulty of managing their new life. The project aims to highlight their mentality and illustrate the hardships of living in the UK. Issues of language, culture, society and emotional changes are addressed in Living Away From Home.
Myung Nam An
I want to express aspects of the human life using ceramic as an accessible way to tell stories about how unexpected changes, fate and luck affect our life. I want my own experience to have a universal meaning of existence as an artist. I intend to express who I am and how I came to be here, there was no past, present and future discernible, and it seemed to me that my work was flowing or waiting to move in one direction or another.
Shera Hyunyim Park
I found London is such a natural environment city especially bank-side landscape seem a frame of artwork as fantastic and dreamy natural image. Image transformed famous London landmarks to natural elements and those elements are combined together to create a frame of scene like artwork itself. Can you see the London Eye, Dali’s Elephants, Big Ben, Eros figure in Piccadilly Circus, Gherkin building and Millennium Bridge?
Soo Ji Shin
Chandelier – It is made by connecting of the many small boats, and it is like a cluster of them. It looks as if the cluster is flying to the sky. It is also made by hand- sewing. (lighting)
Soon Yul Kang
My works are concerned with contemplation inspired by nature and Zen. My images have a timeless aspect to them and convey to the viewer a sense of tranquility and mystical form. The use of a circle in my works conveys a sense of immortality and of an on-going journey. Coming to London was for me the beginning of a new life and that is a journey is still on-going.
Sun Kim
My work is focused on a range of functional ware where I explore traditional and contemporary aesthetics. I use porcelain and also stoneware as the main material to produce my work. I’m very intrigued by cultural connections I find within my work and the making process is a continual challenge for me and a personal investigation into form, shape and volume.
Unmi Li
My work illustrates my growing awareness of a vibrant multicultural city; its hopes and fears expressed in London.
Yonghyun Lim (Jackie)
When I arrived in London the city was like a fairy tale, it inspired me to photograph it, to sketch it and to write about it. Big Ben, London Eye and the river Thames were like scenes from a fairy tale, something that I had dreamt of since I was a child, my dream had come true and I was very excited. After numerous beers it was much more appealing.
Exhibition Committee: Soon Yul Kang, Hyun Jun Kim, Miso Park, Joon Hwan Lim
Exhibition Director: Bada Song
Korean Cultural Centre UK
General enquiries: info@kccuk.org.uk
Grand Buildings, 1-3 Strand, London WC2N 5BN
(Entrance in Northumberland Avenue)
Opening Times: Mon to Fri 10 am – 5 pm
Saturday 11 am – 4 pm
Enquiries on this exhibition: koreanartuk@gmail.com
The Korean Artists Association UK
Hyunseok Lee (이현석) at Haein Art Project
Haeinsa Temple is hosting its first contemporary art exhibition, involving 34 artists from 10 countries, to commemorate the millennial anniversary of the Tripitaka Koreana, which UNESCO has designated one of the “most important and most complete corpus of Buddhist doctrinal texts in the world.”
Among the 34 international artist in the exhibition is Hyunseok Lee, who is contributing a 10 minute video work entitled 1,000 years.
Lee comments:
This artwork, 1,000 years, represents the 1,000 years of the Tripitaka Koreana and the 1,200 years history of the Haeinsa monastery through the digital images artwork in order to deliver the historic and religious meaning of the Tripitaka Koreana and Haeinsa itself.
Particularly, I have focused on exploring the representation of Buddhist philosophical principles and sacred experience by dramatising abstract and surreal environments displaying Korean architecture and the Tripitaka Koreana. This encourages audiences to feel the ‘sacredness’ which is a unique and indigenous form of Korean tradition. The Buddhist style of narration hopefully will evoke a dramatic feeling to explore the holistic passion and pride about the Tripitaka Koreana. The English voiceover also will deliver the deep meaning of the Korean Buddhism to people from all over the world.
This form of art work, using the ‘Animated Spiritual Documentary’ genre, explores the beauty of the physical outlook as well as the metaphysical meaning using the both realistic and surreal expression based on my subjective and artistic interpretation to share the ‘feeling’ with audiences.
通 | 통 | Tong
Date: Sept 23, 2011 – Nov 6, 2011 (45 days)
Organizer: Haein Art Project
Host: Haeinsa Temple
Curators: Yu Yeon Kim(Chief), Jiwoong Yoon
Advisors: Gerardo Mosquera, Martin Brauen
Venue: Haeinsa Temple, Hapcheon, Korea
Haein Art Project: 44-1 Chiin-ri, Gaya, Hapcheon, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea, (678-895)
TEL: 055-934-3175 (English); 055-934-3173 (Korean); Fax 055-934-3174
Web: www.haeinart.org Email: pr.haeinart@gmail.com
KAYA in concert at the KCC
KAYA Concert: ‘Bridge’
Harmony of Korean traditional harp ‘kayagum’ and guitar
Korean Cultural Centre UK: Multi Purpose Hall
Friday 21st October 2011 7pm – 8:30pm
Register via info@kccuk.org.uk | 020 7004 2600
The team name ‘KAYA’ derives from the Korean traditional instrument ‘kayagum’. Ji Eun Jung plays the modern 25 string kayagum with Sung Min Jeon playing acoustic guitar. They’ve been performing together since 2002 in Korea and since 2005 in Europe after they settled in UK. They’ve performed for various diplomatic, corporate, cultural and charity events including at London City Hall, British Museum, Asia House, Oxford University, Chelsea Flower Show. They were often invited to perform to represent Korea, and also stand for the harmony between the East and the West, and the bridge between Korea and the world. They’ve released two CDs: ‘Bridge’ and ‘Korean Breeze’ in UK. Official website: www.kaya-music.co.uk
Ji Eun Jung
Ji Eun Jung is a professional kayagum player and a national initiator of the Important Intangible Cultural Assets of Korea, No.23 Jook Pa Kim Sanjo. She did her BA in Korean Traditional Music at Ewha Woman’s University and MA in Asian Music at Dong Gook University. After graduate she had performed all over the world.
Sung Min Jeon
Sung Min Jeon is a Korean guitarist and folk singer songwriter. He mainly plays a steel string acoustic guitar with a harmonica. He started playing the guitar when he was 13. His passion for music was inspired by his family. His father plays various instruments and is also a great singer, while his mother used to run a record shop. His uncle is the leader of the greatest Korean folk duo, ‘Sunflower’.
Program
1. Sanjo
Sanjo, Korean representative music for solo instruments, was developed in the 19th century. It is thought to have been developed from shinawi, a form of improvisation played in shamanistic ceremonies in Jeolla Province, in the south western part of the Korean peninsula. Originally, Sanjo was improvised music but now the forms are set. It has five movements which increase in tempo Chinyangjo, Chungmori, Chungjungmori, Chajinmori and Hwimori.
2. Amazing Grace
‘Amazing grace’ is a hymn written by English poet and clergyman ‘John Newton’ (1725-1807). It is one of the most recognizable songs in the world. Ji Eun Jung tries to arrange the song to fit 25 strings Kayagum.
3. Thinking of you
Sung Min composed ‘Thinking of You’ inspired by one rainy day when he thought of someone he loves.
4. Heart for the people
This is Ji Eun’s own composition. As is well known, her home country Korea has been divided into North and South for more than 50 years. In the face of such geographical and ideological division, she believes the most important thing is to continue to love the people who are suffering.
5. Your theme
In Ji Eun’s composition ‘Your Theme’, she intends listeners to let their feelings roam freely inspired by the emotion of the music.
6. Dokdo
Sung Min’s composition ‘Dokdo’ was inspired by Dokdo, the island of the Korean coast in the East Sea. It literally means ‘Solitary Island’ in Korean. It’s a small but beautiful island. Also Dokdo is special and means a lot to Koreans. It’s in every Korean’s heart.
7. Market day / People of the sea / The field – ‘Home’
With photo slide show of Ji Eun’s father Jung Hoi Jung’s photo works – Korean rural scenery in 1970’s
Ji Eun composed and arranged ‘Market day’ and ‘People of the Sea’ inspired by the photos taken by her father, Mr. Jung Hoi Jung, a professional photographer. His photos show scenes of Korea in 1970s. ‘Home’ is Sung Min’s composition.
8. The narrow way
‘The Narrow Way’ is Ji Eun’s own composition and words. There are many ways in our life, but she believes that the true way of life is narrow.
9. New Arirang
Joined by daegum, the traditional Korean bamboo flute, and keyboard
‘Arirang’, is the most representative Korean traditional folk song. ‘Arirang’ is an ancient native Korean word. ‘Ari’ means ‘beautiful’ and ‘rang’ can mean ‘dear’. Ji Eun arranged ‘Arirang’ into a modern style.
Francesca Cho: “This is not just a picture” at Mayfair Library
Francesca Cho participated in a group exhibition entitled “Free Words” in the Mayfair Library three years ago. She returns to the same venue with a solo show this month:
This is not just a picture
Mayfair Library Exhibition Hall
25 South Audley Street
London W1K 2PB
October 14th – November 5th
11am – 7pm Monday – Friday
10.30am – 2pm Saturday
The title of the exhibition ‘This is not just a picture’ is a reference to the involved process that Francesca Cho employs when creating her work namely, painting with a mixture of ash and paint.
The ash is produced by burning former belongings e.g. old photos, letters, catalogues, paintings or drawings, legal documents and papers which showed the artist’s name and address. The presence of unforgettable stories within the ash is now embedded in the paint of Cho’s canvasses.
Ash is a symbol of mortality. The beautiful images created therefore are not just aesthetic, but are also an expression of her emotional response to everyday tragedies in the news and her desire to transform this into something more positive. In doing so they become cathartic.
‘Opening Performance’ at 7.30pm
In their performance art collaboration entitled: Elasticized Probation, Part I, Francesca Cho and Dagmar Glausnitzer-Smith will explore an “intertransitexchangecommunication” an experiment between sound, voice and object. Cho’s words are from the sources of SIJO – Korean traditional poetry – and their foreign-ness will meet with Glausnitzer-Smith’s sounds of everyday objects. The artists move within the boundaries of their own individual entity, however are deceivingly connected.
Curated by Camille Rodskjaer
Jee Soo Shin in Oze escapade series 1 – 3
O:Ze is created by two composers who specialise in contemporary music. The primary interest of the group is to embody compositions that contain visual and spacial elements and to give platform for performances of such works, which are mostly ill-fitted in a traditional concert venue. The name O:Ze comes from the french verb oser.
The Seoul-Foundation-of-Arts-and-Culture-funded inaugural event will take place on the 8th of October in Seoul Art Space Mullae, where acoustic avant-garde will be showcased and given chance for a wider audience. O:Ze also aims to engage in collaborative projects with visual artists and dancers to create a pool of multi-disciplinary artists, and to explore the meaning of music performance in a contemporary society.
Co-executive, project coordinator, web editor, translator and composer Jee Soo Shin studied piano and composition during her middle- and high-school days at Sun-Hwa Art School, and BA in composition at Seoul National University. During her study at the university, she performed many of her pieces at various concerts in Korea, including the New Artists’ Concert held in Sejong Arts’ Centre in Seoul. She studied composition and music theory at the University Mozarteum in Salzburg and won a Raiffeisen-Klassik-Preis in 2004. She finished her studies in 2006 with distinction, which lead her to win a Bernhard-Paumgartner Medal. Her works have been performed in Korea, Austria, Switzerland, Serbia, United Kingdom and South Africa.
Jee Soo Shin is awarded PhD at University of Southampton from her study with Michael Finnissy. Her works can be heard at www.jisushin.com.
Joohee Chun – artist in residence for styrianARTfoundation, Austria
Joohee Chun has the honour of being the first foreign artist to be appointed Artist in Residence by styrianARTfoundation. “Every thing was new and exotic experience for me to improve my art,” said Joohee of her time in Graz, Austria. The product of the three-week residency was Miracle (shown above).
This is the seventh artist in residence programme organised by the styrianARTfoundation and this year is entitled NO PLASTIC. The programme results in two exhibitions:
Date: 8 -18 September 2011 & 4 Oct.-10 Nov. 2011
Venue 1: The ORF Radio House Gallery, Graz, Austria (8 Sep. – 18 Sep.)
Venue 2: HYPO Steiermark BANK Gallery, Graz, Austria (4 Oct. – 10 Nov.)
Curious Tiptoe — Lunacy: stuck in my head!
KAA member WooJung Kim would like to invite you to a performance as part of the Empty Shop Project (http://emptyshopproject.tumblr.com/) in Dorking.
The EMPTY SHOP PROJECT is a six-week dance event filled with workshops, performances, films, photographs and writing about dance.
Six teams present their work on Saturday 13th August. WooJung Kim and two choreographers work together as Curious Tiptoe group, in which they perform together as dancers.
Curious Tiptoe
Lunacy: stuck in my head!
Do I look crazy?
Is it real madness? Or maybe just too much focus?
Well, it could be you…
Somewhere in a place far away from this, it comes to you: Addicted! To what? It does not matter, the only thing that matters here now and today, is that we all know what it feels like. We don’t talk about drugs here. We talk about what three artists found in their very own soul that moment.
So, sit and come with us – you might find it too.
Addiction combines humans darkest, yet most intense as well as ordinary features. Start diving!
Choreography and performance: Britta Barthel, WooJung Kim and Marina Pogiatzi
The show is running twice; 12pm and 3pm.
Address – 11 St Martins Walk, Dorking, RH4 1UT
Mobile – 0789 105 2912
website – www.superbdancetheatre.blogspot.com
Empty shop blog – http://emptyshopproject.tumblr.com/
Soon Yul Kang at Art in Action
Soon Yul Kang demonstrates her tapestry weaving techniques and exhibits her hand woven tapestries at Art in Action, 21-24 July 2011. She will be showing her own unique style of weaving which is based on subtlety of colour.
Art in Action is a festival of fine art and master craftsmanship staged in the grounds of
Waterperry House, Oxfordshire. Each July artists set up their studios in one of the many
marquees and work in front of visitors, giving them the rare opportunity to observe the
creative process at first hand. Over 150 artists from around the globe will demonstrate their skills in a wide range of disciplines for an audience of enthusiastic and enquiring visitors.
Venue: Waterperry House, Waterperry, Nr Wheatley, Oxfordshire, OX33 1JZ
Dates: Thursday 21 to Sunday 24 July
Times: 10.00am -5.30pm
www.artinaction.org.uk
www.soonyulkang.com
The Beauty of Traditional Korean Furniture at Gallery Han
Kitty Jun-Im McLaughlin will be appearing in a joint exhibition in New Malden later this week:
Gallery Han Summer Exhibition
The Beauty of Traditional Korean Furniture
21 – 27 July
Korea was generally known as the “Hermit Kingdom” by the West until early twentieth century, and therefore it is quite recent phenomenon that Korean culture has been introduced to the world audiences. In many cases, Korean ceramics, white porcelains, calligraphies and genre paintings are being quoted as significant Korean cultural or artistic asset. However, a startling realization that not many people around world or even perhaps Korean themselves do not realize Korea has a long tradition of making furniture and their excellent craftsmanship.
Korean furniture is practically unique among the furniture of the world in terms of practicality, sensitive designs, compact forms, and simple. Its uniqueness of designs developed as a result of the Korean custom of sitting on cushions and mats on the floor. Our summer exhibition will demonstrate natural beauty of the furniture with its stories and values.
The exhibition also includes flower arrangements by Jane Packer and fine painting by Kitty Jun-im McLaughlin.
39 Coombe Gardens | New Malden | KT3 4AB | 10:00 – 18:00
21 – 27 July (Closed Sunday 24 July)
Jinsoo Park. 07951 746614
www.galleryhan.com
Francesca Cho in Dolphin Square group show
Hidden behind the walls of the beautiful 1930s apartments of Dolphin Square in Pimlico lies a hidden gem – the exquisitely kept Moroccan Gardens. To mark the relaunch of the gardens Collective Studios has invited artists from across ACAVA studios together with additional selected guests to show their current work in an inaugural exhibition.
In anticipation of her forthcoming exhibition in the autumn (details to be announced shortly) Francesca Cho will be showing an oil and mixed media on canvas at this group show.
Contemporary Art Exhibition at
The Moroccan Gardens,
Dolphin Square,
Pimlico
SW1V 3LX
Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th July 2011
11am – 5pm
Private view: Friday 15th July,
6pm – 9pm
Drinks available from Dolphin Bar and Grill
Music by The Vaults Quartet
www.collectivestudios.co.uk
www.francescacho.com
Samulnori at the Korean Food Fest
This Saturday, 9 July, is the annual Korean Food Festival at the Fountain Pub in New Malden (120 Malden Road, New Malden KT3 6DD), from midday until late afternoon. KAA member and samulnori drummer Jeung Hyun Choi will be doing a samulnori performance at around 12:30 with some of her drumming students. If you are interested in Korean food and music, it will be a great chance to enjoy them both in the Fountain’s large beer garden.
The Food Fest, part of the New Malden Fortnight, is always a fun and lively event, with loads of food stalls and entertainments.
Kitty Jun-Im solo show in Seoul
Kitty Jun-Im McLaughlin, who has lived in England for over 30 years, is having a solo exhibition in Seoul, 18 – 24 of May 2011 at Yi Hyung Art Center. More details below:
Yun-Kyung Jeong: Axonometric
AXONOMETRIC / 11/05/11 – 04/06/11
YUN-KYUNG JEONG
Exhibition runs: 11th May to 4th June 2011
Location: 36 South Molton Lane, Mayfair, London W1K 5AB
SUMARRIA LUNN is proud to present a solo exhibition of work by Yun-Kyung Jeong. Axonometry has played a part in artistic practice for centuries. In essence, it means to ‘skew’ perspective. Now an invaluable tool for engineers, axonometric projection involves showing an object or structure in orthographic projection; foreshortening each plane of the viewing surface so they can be observed in relation to one another. With a power to fortify our perception of the world around us, in its most basic form axonometric perspective taps into our desire to see more, touch more, experience more. While much of Yun Kyung Jeong’s work draws on the application of axonometry it is this broader motivation to unveil new realms to the viewer that can be found throughout her work. These are landscapes, but in the loosest sense of the word.
Jeong’s paintings are best understood as representations of utopia; repetition and space are Jeong’s play things in these worlds. Constructed from the duplication of a single recognisable, yet slightly amorphous motif, her canvases are teaming with shapes and structures that seem to move or flow over one another. The forms are ambiguous but undoubtedly create in each case some sense of space, be it natural, architectural or both. Along side flatter, more graphic sections she often uses axonometry to create a mixture of depth and foreshortening that would be impossible in any sense of space as we know it. Unlike Esher, famous for creating prints and drawings of ‘impossible’ spaces using a similar technique, this element of her work is included not to undermine our understanding of reality but to enhance it.
Whether in collision or cohesion, Jeong’s work is also bound up with the meeting of opposites. In her paintings architecture-meets-nature, East-meets-West and tradition-meets-technology. Having studied, worked and exhibited in both England and Korea, her work thrives on the meeting of these two cultural traditions. Looking at a painting viewers might pick out the flowing curve of a waterfall or a tree branch only to realise it could just as easily be the arch or dome of a structure. It is in the ambiguity of the forms in her work that architectural and natural forms collide, but surprisingly this is also where eastern and western philosophies meet. While in the eastern tradition man is seen in harmony with nature, in the west under Christianity man has traditionally been seen as ruling over nature. The architectural forms in Jeong’s work are often equally evocative of forms in nature in that they reference Gothic architecture; one of the few western traditions that was intended to harmonise with nature. For Jeong the natural is utopian, but this does not mean the exclusion of architecture.
Axonometric Jungle is seemingly forged of climbing plants and flying buttresses, towering spires and the bows of entwined tree branches: a fusion that is given voice through intricate patterns of Jeong’s recognisable single motif. Its warped perspectives enlighten the viewer to a complex maze of twisting forms which like waterfalls seem to flow impossibly through the space. One of the artist’s new works, Axonometric Jungle has broached a new realm of colour, bringing in earthly reds and sky blues alongside her characteristic monochromatic topiary-like constructions. Alongside her leaf-like motif are now tiles and planes that cut new levels of geometric complexity across the structures in her work. Each cluster of new shapes has appeared organically, and with the spontaneity of application that has remained the central thread to her work.
A further set of subtle experiments has seen digital technology meet more traditional modes of painting in Jeong’s latest work. While her paintings are predominantly executed on un-primed canvas, these new digital and painted works use Microfibre, a fine woven vivid white fabric as a base. This material allows Jeong to explore further the idea of repetition. While repetition of a motif or form by hand has a certain aesthetic (due to the margin of human error) the digital repetition of a painted form is absolute and exact creating a very different feel. In this new strand she employs ‘work outside of the work’; separate, smaller paintings created independently of the canvas. These miniature compositions are photographed and digitally edited, then steam-printed onto the Microfibre to form a tiled background. This printed surface is then completed with a further layer of hand painting. This combination of different aesthetics of repetition, caused by the meeting of tradition and technology, creates a new hybrid style.
Yun-Kyung Jeong is a graduate of Ewha University (Seoul), Slade School of Fine Art and Goldsmiths. Solo exhibitions include The Song Am Culture Foundation/OCI Museum, Seoul (2010). Groups shows include KIAF – Korea International Art Fair, with SUMARRIA LUNN//Hanmi Gallery, Seoul (2010), Invisible Bond, Korean Cultural Centre, London (2010), T-R-A-C-E, Shan Hyu Museum, China (2010), Natural Recurrence, SUMARRIA LUNN, London (2009), Long Nights, William Angel Gallery, London (2008), 4482: Korean Contemporary Art, London (2008), SFA Alsop Architecture, London (2007), MiKi, Gallery Cott, Seoul (2006) and Uterus, Space Achim, Seoul (2005). The artist is recipient of a number of awards incuding the Renaissance Art Prize (2008) and the Foster Fletcher Prize (2008).
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Yun-Kyung Jeong – Axonometric
Exhibition runs: Wednesday 11th May to Saturday 4th June / 11am – 6pm (Mon to Fri) / 12 – 5pm (Sat)
36 South Molton Lane, London W1K 5A
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