Cultivating Corea III

JEONG HyunSook (b. 1956)  draws from the rich history of decorative arts in Korea to create softly lambent works that re-contextualize traditional imagery and practices for a contemporary audience. A distinctive feature of Jeong’s art is her use of mother-of-pearl which recalls najeon-chilgi, the ancient art of inlaying iridescent shells into lacquered wood. Jeong arranges slivers of mother-of-pearl into an intricate pattern over the painted canvas, creating an effect as though the work were enveloped by a delicate gossamer shimmering in the morning light. 

JEONG received her BFA from Ehwa Womans University and her MFA from the University of Pennsylvania. She has exhibited in nearly 40 solo exhibitions in Korea and abroad, and her works can be found in the following collections: Seoul Art Museum, Yangpyeong Art Museum, Sunnam Art Center, and the Art Bank of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea. 

JUNG YoungMo (b. 1961) creates brightly colored and richly textured paintings that capture the whimsy of childhood nostalgia. A central theme of Jung’s art is the Korean notion of 고향 (“kohyang”); often inadequately translated as “hometown” or “homeland,” kohyang refers to one’s home or a place of origin imbued with an intense sense of longing and belonging.

JUNG received his BFA from ChuAng University and has participated in over 50 solo exhibitions and 400 group exhibitions in Korea and abroad. 

KANG ShinDuk (b. 1952) is a multidisciplinary artist whose works span across a wide array of practices, including drawing, print, video, fabric installation, and sculpture, which remains the core foundation that informs all her  approaches to art. In her most recent series, Kang experiments with lenticular printing to challenge the boundaries of still-lifes. Utilizing the unique properties of lenticular prints that allow for an illusion of depth, Kang is able to bring dimensionality to a genre that has traditionally been confined to the flat surface.

KANG ShinDuk has exhibited in nearly 40 solo shows, including a three-month invitational exhibition at the Gwanju Museum of Art. Her works are in the collections of numerous institutions including the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, Gwangju Art Museum,  Yonsei University Severance Hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. 

KIM GyeHwan (b. 1960) creates softly atmospheric landscapes and still-lifes characterized by loose intuitive brushstrokes reminiscent of those of impressionist painters. His paintings, which are awash in soft greens and hazy blues, endeavor to depict nature not as it is but to capture and recreate its sensory impressions.

KIM GyeHwan received both his BFA and MFA from Sejong University. He has exhibited in over 20 solo shows and has participated in over 200 group shows. His works are in the numerous public collections, including those of the Art Bank of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea; Gidang Art Museum in Jeju; and the Muksan Art Museum in YeongWol.

KOO Chasoong  (b. 1941) is a leading artist in representational Korean art, having been the preeminent figure within the country’s Hyperrealism movement during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Hyperrealistic art, also called super-realistic or photo-realistic art, first emerged in Korea during the late 1970s as a rebellion against both the classicism championed by the state and the monochromatic abstraction favored by the international art world. While Koo’s meticulous brushwork and zealous fidelity to realism are representative of the broader movement, a distinct feature of his art is the austere composition; much like a musician with a pause or a poet with a caesura, Koo exploits negative space to enhances the immediacy and physicality of his still-lifes.

KOO Chasoong received his BFAs from Hongik University in Korea and the Ontario College of Art and Design in Canada, and his MFA from Hongik University. He has exhibited in over 20 solo shows and over 500 group shows in both Korea and abroad. His artworks are in numerous public and private collections including the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea; Seoul Museum of Art; Gwangju Museum of Art; Domain of Chaumont-sur-Loire, and Whanki Kim Museum of Art.

LIM HyunJoo creates charmingly playful paintings of whimsical houses that appear to wobble and sway in the wind as though they are dancing. Home is a central theme in LIM’s art as she views it as a warm shelter from the throes of modernity.

LIM HyunJoo has exhibited in nearly 50 solo shows and hundreds of group shows. She was also selected for the special exhibition  commemorating the 50th anniversary of South Korea and US diplomatic relations.