May 15 ~ 30, 2017

Opening Reception: May 20, 6 - 8 pm

Artist Statement:

It seems that the world is showing the end of the mammonism these days. How can I explain the shock of watching the impeachment and arrest of the first female president of my country, the Republic of Korea? I feel unfortunate to live in the unreasonable reality where a person is judged based on how much money he or she has. In the world, money talks. With money, love can be purchased, personality can be rewritten and education can be acquired. So everybody becomes crazy and takes every risk to make money. Nevertheless, for me to live as a painter means that I am just doing what I want to do in the world that is far from reality. Some people gave me a cold look and others envied me because of the freedom, which I had enjoyed as a painter. Regardless of the fact that I want it or not, may my current situation be the result of what I have worked for? I wanted to be a full time-painter, but the reality did not allow me to do so. The process of preparing for an exhibition is not easy, but equally satisfying at the same time. How long should I continue to do this? I asked myself this question from time to time. I know that I am going to do this again and again, because this process makes me confirm that I am alive. Accordingly, I am a painter now and I am going to be a painter for the future as well. I can be happy only with the applause of one person, even though living as a painter is not realistic, not productive, and not so fancy that nobody pays attention. I am free not to care about a cold look or envy from family members and others. At this exhibition, I am going to show works from 2007 to the present since moving from Korea to New York. In my childhood, I grew surrounded by many of treasures and artifacts from ancient tombs at Gyungju, which was the capital city of a prosperous ancient kingdom. My works were simplified by the motifs from nature including the cherry blossoms around the ancient tombs and the remains of royal families’ heritage. I focused on studying material properties and used some materials, including acrylic paints, faithful to express artistic inspiration. Among high rises with concrete walls in New York, I tried to express the daily life of Manhattan, the busiest of plastic towns, filled with cold stainless steel.  Also I wanted to condemn ourselves, indulged in luxurious goods and services as a symbol of wealth. The gap between the poor and the rich is expanding every year. The dichotomy stands for gold and stainless steel. I hope a new world where my these trial are hopeless someday.