Vibes and Vistas Korean Art Magazine - Issue 3

CONTENTS

P/04 YOON GYEOM

POCKETS OF REPRIEVE

P/20 KIHOON PARK

THE SCARS OF THE CITY

P/36 DALLRYE KANG

VIRTUAL REALITIES

P/52 EUNJU PARK HAPPINESS ON HORSEBACK

P/66 JIHYE PARK

JOURNEY OF MY OWN

P/12 YOUNSEON CHOI LARGER THAN LIFE

P/28 DONG GU LEE

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

P/44 HEEMYOUNG LEE

THE DARKER SIDE OF ME

P/58 JULIE HWANG

BOTANICALS OF TOGETHERNESS

P/74 HEEJEONG MOON

THE SECRET GARDEN

STEWART COLLINS, Editor-in-Chief JIWON KIM, Head Curator

ARTWORKS: DALLRYE KANG / DONG GU LEE / EUNJU PARK / HEEJEONG MOON / HEEMYOUNG LEE / JIHYE PARK / JULIE HWANG / KIHOON PARK / YOON GYEOM / YOONSEON CHOI ©

EDITOR’S NOTE

Dear Readers,

In Issue 3, we delve into the realm of creativity and innovation, immersing ourselves in a world where imagination truly knows no bounds. I challenge you to put your trust in our experimental Korean artists as they transcend the limits of conventional thought and explore the boundless possibilities of artistic expression. The works within are manifestations of dreams, fantasies, and aspirations brought to life with a bold and fearless vigor. Indeed, they dare us to dream, envision, and embrace the unknown in a way that liberates us from the constraints of everyday life. From wild urban carvings to surrealist landscapes that fill the void with color and enchantment, get ready to provoke your senses and make the impossible possible once more.

STEWART COLLINS Editor-in-Chief

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THE EMOTIONAL DEPTHS OF FAMILIAL TURBULENCE, PERSONAL TRAUMA, AND INTROSPECTIVE ESCAPE

Vertigo (2014). Oil on Canvas. 130.3 x 162cm.

YOON GYEOM

Yoon Gyeom’s body of work exists as a sanctum, a realm of creative cleansing where blockages unravel in layers of mesmerizing patterns. Through his macroscopic landscapes, Gyeom delves into infinitesimal changes in color and form. In doing so, he lays bare psychological and physiological imperfections in a way that shelters him from the pull of societal expectations.

Following a period of extreme hardship, Gyeom and his family uprooted to the Korean countryside. During this pastoral exile, he forged unlikely bonds with local dogs and became one with the natural world. It was in these moments of rural reflection, beneath the ever-watchful moon, that he unshackled himself from the chains of compulsion and obsession, and created a transformational series of works entitled, “Vertigo.”

Vertigo 2 (2014). Oil on Canvas. 130.3 x 162cm.

WITH ILLUMINATING PASSAGEWAYS AND POCKETS OF REPRIEVE WHERE MEANING, COMFORT, AND HOPE REIGN SUPREME, GYEOM’S PAINTINGS DISMANTLE ANXIETIES WHILE CAPTURING THE ESSENCE OF VULNERABILITY AND RESILIENCE.

Gyeom invites us to explore the recesses of our minds, confront the demons, and kick start our own stories of growth and selfdiscovery in the most imaginative of fashions.

The Reaper (2015). Oil on Canvas. 112.1 x 193.9cm.

YOUNSEON CHOI

OPEN THE CRACKS, UNVEIL THE BLEMISHES, AND CELEBRATE LIFE’S WONDERFUL IMPERFECTIONS

Whether jiving to the beat of solo life, or waltzing gracefully with fellow dance partners, the honest musicality of Younseon Choi’s subjects makes a refreshingly bold statement in today’s superficial world.

Younseon is often inspired by the daring color combinations of Matisse. Before immersing in the creative process, she casts her mind back to a memorable encounter and selects a color scheme that reflects the sights, sounds, and sensations of the moment. She then fleshes out the planes and lines of her piece with rough brushes and a spontaneous sense of physicality. As someone who refuses to paint conventionally pretty, picture-perfect portraits, she subverts mainstream standards of beauty and brings to life the idiosyncratic charms of her imaginary dancers.

She is also influenced by the bizarre facial and bodily forms of Modigliani as well as the simplicity of Picasso’s lines. In her exaggerated style, she enlarges the body size of her subjects so as to evoke a feeling of empathy and contain their enormous hearts.

WITH HEFTY FRAMES INTERTWINED, HER CHARACTERS FREE EACH OTHER FROM THE HARDSHIPS OF EVERYDAY LIFE.

Oil on Canvas. 53 x 65cm.

DANCING WITH THE SUN (2020).

SCARLET DANCE (2020).

PARTNERS (2020).

Oil on Canvas. 45 x 53cm.

Oil on Canvas. 55 x 46cm.

Like a child, Younseon sits in front of the blank canvas in inflated anticipation. With a vivacious jig and a clumsy embrace, she shares with her audience a rare capacity for intimacy, tenderness, and love. Awkward at first glance yet brimming with warmth beneath the surface, her light-hearted creations are guaranteed to leave a larger than life impression on people’s lives.

Oil on Canvas. 53 x 45cm.

FRESH DREAM (2020).

KI HOON PARK

SLICE THROUGH THE TENSION AND ENGRAVE THE SPIRIT OF TOGETHERNESS INTO URBAN LIFE

Acrylic and Engraving on Canvas. 130.3 x 162.2cm.

COEXISTENCE - 2020 (2020).

As a young and adventurous lad, Ki Hoon Park often played with and care for the abandoned dogs at his grandmother’s farm. Once a child of nature, he still recalls the anxiety that engulfed when stepping foot in the frantic Seoul metropolis for the first time. To ease the stress, he started to project his personal battles with unfamiliarity and uncertainty onto the animals that appeared in his engravings. His out-of-place creatures came to symbolize the alienating forces of modern life, and before long, a grander narrative of coexistence began to take shape and ultimately define his body of work.

Coexistence - 2108 (2021). Acrylic and Engraving on Canvas. 72.7 x 90.9cm.

Coexistence 2007 (2020). Acrylic and Engraving on Canvas. 70 x 162.2cm.

Ki Hoon repeatedly applies and dries layers of colored paint to the canvas before any engraving begins. By varying the depth and strength as he carves, the image he has in mind gradually reveals itself through the leftover color.

Having benchmarked the idea from the mezzotint process, he starts from the surface of the dark canvas and carves into the lighter areas with extreme care. Eventually, the engraving plate bears the traces of the carving knife. Like physical wounds, the residue of the process parallels the visceral pain of Ki Hoon and his animals as the sprawling city consumes the sacred habitats they once called home.

Coexistence - 2008 (2020). Acrylic and Engraving on Canvas. 95 x 120cm.

Acrylic and Engraving on Canvas. 130.3 x 162.2cm.

COEXISTENCE - 1931 (2019).

Acyrlic and Engraving on Canvas. 135 x 100cm.

COEXISTENCE - 1922 (2019).

Acrylic and Engraving on Canvas. 91 x 91cm.

COEXISTENCE 2109 (2021).

ACRYLIC AND ENGRAVING ON CANVAS

COEXISTENCE 1611 (2016)

227.3 X 181.8CM

DONG GU LEE

A CREATIVE PLAYGROUND WHERE EMOTIONS PEAK AND FROWNS TURN UPSIDE DOWN

Dong Gu Lee’s creations, both complex and emboldening, become catalysts for contemplation, urging us to subvert typical notions of happiness and seize a highly-individualized way of life in the present. With innocence intact, Dong Gu used to flip through his animal encyclopedia, sketching out the weird, wonderful and enchanting creatures that greeted him on the page. Unfortunately, the sharp twists and turns of life lead him down the path of emptiness, compelling him to deconstruct despair and confront the closet frailty that once characterized his existence.

Dong Gu underwent a personal paradigm shift after his mandatory military service, redirecting his gaze towards the elusive theme of happiness. Underpinned by chance conversations and literary musings, each stroke of his brush captured striking ideas and fresh perspectives on the world around.

Cat in Jeans (2021). Acrylic on Canvas. 80.3 x 100cm.

ACRYLIC

DREAM

(2022)

Dong Gu masterfully manipulates pockets of joy into visual metaphors with a dash of trademark humor on the side. For him, art is not just a medium of expression, it is a liberating platform that enables him to march to the beat of his own unique drum. He transcends the ordinary and disrupts the status quo with an invigorating energy that quite simply commands our attention. In the company of Dong Gu’s imaginary friends, we enter into a realm where emotions move freely, and happiness is not just a pursuit, but a captivating reality to stumble upon with awe.

The Coming of Freedom (2021). Acrylic on Canvas. 145.5 x 227.3cm.

Personality (2022). Acrylic on Canvas. 46 x 53cm.

Simultaneous Space & Time - Castles of Time (2019). Oil on Canvas. 162.2 x 130.3cm.

Oil on Canvas. 162.2 x 130.3cm.

DALLRYE KANG

COUNTER THE MEANINGLESS VOID AND EXPRESS

THE ESSENCE, VALUE AND IRREVERSIBLE NATURE OF TIME ITSELF

From conservative Confucian roots, Dallrye Kang came to terms with a lingering sense of indifference, insignificance and boredom while growing up. As if on life support, the beating heart of her childhood was constrained, her creative pulse deadened without a trace. Craving the challenge and excitement of adventures unknown, she abandoned the status quo and embarked on a journey across the African continent. Far from home, she happened upon an eclectic landscape in which to stimulate her senses and test the limits of her once incarcerated imagination.

Through her cross-cultural encounters, Dallrye forced herself to negotiate the contradictions and fashion turning points anew. Dallrye also confronted inner demons, the unsettling realities of which she transcended via the therapeutic medium of art.

BY CASTING LIFE’S INTENSITIES IN A JOVIAL LIGHT, DALLRYE FASHIONS A UNIQUE FORM OF RECOVERY WITHIN THE REIMAGINED CONSTRUCTS OF HER VIRTUAL WORLDS.

IN THE COMPANY OF HER CARTOON PROJECTIONS, TIME HAS NO BOUNDARIES, AND THE SPIRIT AND CONSCIOUSNESS OF ALL BEINGS IS FREE TO COEXIST AND CHALLENGE A MECHANICAL FORM OF EXISTENCE IN DESOLATE TIMES.

Acrylic on Canvas. 162.2 x 130.3cm.

FLOWER DIMENSIONS (2020).

For Tens of Thousands of Reasons (2020). Acrylic on Canvas. 162.2 x 130.3cm.

Short Sentences Engraved in the Vast Universe (2020). Acrylic on Canvas. 162.2 x 130.3cm.

Acrylic on Canvas. 162.2 x 130.3cm.

THREE TIMES (2019)

TIME FLUTTERS (2018).

Oil on Canvas. 162.2 x 130.3cm.

Button of Time (2020). Acrylic on Canvas. 162.2 x 130.3cm.

HEEMYOUNG LEE’S PASSION FOR DRAWING, KINDLED DURING HER MIDDLE SCHOOL YEARS, HAS BLOSSOMED PECULIARLY INTO A UNIQUE EXPLORATION OF HUMAN FRAGILITY.

An Afternoon Dream (2016-2019). Gouache and Acrylic on Canvas. 234 x 637cm.

HEEMYOUNG LEE

FROM YOUTHFUL FASCINATION TO A CAPTIVATING EXPLORATION OF DARKER TRUTHS AND INNOVATIVE EXPRESSIONS

Gouache, Oil, and Acrylic on Canvas. 260 x 486cm.

THE FOREST AND THE BODY (2016-2018).

Traversing the sacred corners of the natural world, where the pulse of primordial life beats with vigor, Heemyoung unearths a series of intimate tensions and closeted trains of thought. It is during solitary sojourns that she finds inspiration in the venerable cedars, their thick leaves and branches intertwining like flesh, bone, and an intricate network of blood vessels. Her encounters with the sprites in the undergrowth and the maternal embrace of Dangsan protector trees ignite her spirit, leading her to relinquish personal desires and pay tribute to the benevolence and resilience etched into the legacy of the soil.

Heemyoung’s unusual and deeply transformative works challenge narratives of convention. Each piece skillfully weaves together the jovial triviality of cartoon imagery and the idiosyncrasies of plant life, daring to confront the unspoken conflicts that lurk beneath the surface. Encapsulating Mother Earth’s providence, Heemyoung invokes an immersive, contemplative experience that allows her audience to confront the impermanence of life. Her works facilitate introspection and encourage us to reevaluate the balance between human sensibilities and reason in a world so often governed by the rigidity of hierarchical structures. She unravels layers of meaning and probes our perceptions, offering solace and insight to those grappling with the fundamentals of identity and self-discovery.

Gouache and Acrylic on Canvas. 162 x 130cm.

SACRIFICIAL RITUAL (2014).

Gouache and Acrylic on Canvas. 194 x 260cm.

THE MESSENGER (2019-2020).

Acrylic on Canvas. 182 x 227cm.

SIGNS OF METAMORPHOSIS (2016-2017).

AFTER THE GOLD RUSH (2015-2016).

Gouache and Acrylic on Canvas. 162 x 260cm.

The Shadow House (2015-2017). Gouache and Acrylic on Linen. 162 x 335cm.

EUNJU PARK

A FOLK ARTIST DOES NOT REPLICATE THE MASTERS, SHE HONORS THEM IN HONEST BURSTS OF INDIVIDUALITY AND JOY

Before putting brush to hanji, Eunju Park admires the Minhwa classics from the comfort of her studio. She then converts her innermost impulses into spontaneous sketches. With layers of pigments applied, these sketches gradually evolve into animal and floral-inspired invocations of happiness that touch upon themes such as marital bliss and the pursuit of fortune.

As a fledgling creative, Eunju employed animal motifs as a simple mode of self-expression. She then went on to explore the ornamental hunting scenes popularized in the late Joseon period, ultimately identifying with the charisma and bravery of the equine subjects on display. Adorned with elegant saddles and striking color contrasts to match, character-filled horses now roam wild at the center of her creative landscapes.

TWELVE MONTHS OF WISHES (2021)

Pigment on Paper. 86 x 65cm.

AS MAJESTIC FORCES OF NATURE, HORSES REFLECT EUNJU’S ARTISTIC DREAMS AS WELL AS THE GOOD HEALTH, HAPPINESS, AND SUCCESS OF HER CHILDREN AS THEY STRIDE FORWARD IN ALL WALKS OF LIFE.

Pigment on Paper. 88 x 115cm.

JULIE HWANG

AN EXTRAORDINARILY WHIMSICAL JOURNAL OF LIFE’S MOST HUMAN MOMENTS

As an artist and novelist, the world for Julie Hwang is a botanical garden awash with canvases on which to embroider, pen and paint a tapestry of emotions. From the landmarks of love and forgiveness, to the trenches of hatred and war, she sheds light on a starkly contradictory existence that is as glorious as it is terrible.

Julie views the pursuit of love as a state in which individuals yearn for genuine communication. To crystallize such a discourse, she harvests the pains of heartbreak and loneliness into an organic picture of human connection. Cyclical and profound, her beautiful flowers blossom in the sunlight only to wither instantaneously in the falling rain. Although magnificent to the eye, Julie knows that her flowers simply cannot change the world. Indeed, they cannot stem the tides of conflict or pollinate prosperity for those who need it most.

Botany (2022). Acrylic on Canvas. 194 x 260cm..

Botany (2015). Acrylic on Canvas. 182 x 227cm.

Self Portrait (2014). Acrylic on Canvas. 80 x 100cm.

Botany (2014). Acrylic on Canvas. 130 x 162cm.

Julie’s hand-crafted letters burst into dazzling colors, certainly visible and even gamechanging to those willing to read between the lines. While Julie’s works may never reach an end destination or touch the hearts and minds of the masses, she is content in the knowledge that her panoramic personal narratives exist for even a single stranger to behold.

Inner Landscape (2017). Acrylic on Canvas. 130 x 194cm.

Acrylic on Postcards. 130 x162cm.

A REFLECTION ON MY JOURNEY (2007).

Acrylic on Canvas. 224 x 182cm.

THE BUDDHA IN YOU (2020-2021).

There are times when Jihye Park views herself as a lonely being residing on an island of her own creation. As a member of the creative community, she is overwhelmed by hyper-stimulating forms of media that have catalyzed a dehumanizing turn in the timeline of human existence. While her contemporaries often strive to trend in the minds of the masses, Jihye opts to resist the suggestive, provocative, and even violently transient filler that abounds. In an act of rebellion, Jihye shares a visual record of personal thoughts while extending a call for mutual communication. Gaining power through interpretation, her works invite the spectator into her once unrelatable flow state and incentivize us to become protagonists of new worlds beyond imagination.

JIHYE PARK

WHEN NIGHT FALLS AND THE SHADOWS AWAKE, ART OFFERS CONSOLATION TO THOSE WHO TOO CANNOT SLEEP

In the Dream (2021). Oil on Canvas. 115 x 160cm.

SNOW

When the wind blows, it touches us with the pain of those we may never know. Similarly, when someone somewhere sees Jihye’s works, a sense of sorrow is shared. Suddenly, individuals can behold things and forge conclusions once unthinkable. Whether a surrealist landscape that others may have already imagined, or the remnants of a distant memory lost in time, her art constitutes breathing room for the wounded souls who have no other space to dream.

Island in the Room (2018). Oil on Canvas. 60 x 60cm.

Forest in the House (2021).

Oil on Canvas.

The Tail (2021). Gouache on Paper. 65 x 53cm.

Gouache on Paper. 73 x 51cm.

JEJU 2 (2021).

HEE-JEONG MOON

AS FLOWERS, WE ARE BORN TO DISCOVER OUR CALLINGS AND FLOURISH IN THE LIGHT OF DAY

Hee-Jeong Moon positions herself as a transcendental outsider, a celestial envoy sent down to reinforce the forgotten spirit of human civilization through the medium of art. Leafing through the pages of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s, “The Secret Garden,” she found herself yearning for a fantastically verdant sanctuary to call her own. Fueled by the enchantment of local landscapes, the rhythm of nightly poetry readings, and the lingering afterglow of vivid dreams, a personal utopia began to mature within her heart.

Gouache on Paper. 76 x 56cm.

THE SECRET GARDEN (2021).

WITH THE PRECISION OF A LANDSCAPE GARDENER, SHE METICULOUSLY CULTIVATES FRAGMENTS OF DAILY LIFE, RESHUFFLING THEM INTO OPULENT COLOR COMBINATIONS OF ACRYLIC AND WATERCOLOR GOUACHE. LIKE VOICES IN AN ECHO CHAMBER, THESE COLORS RESONATE INTO LAYERS AND BREATHE LIFE INTO HEE-JEONG’S SURREALIST UNIVERSE. APPLYING MODELING PASTE TO THE CANVAS, HEE-JEONG INTRODUCES TEXTURE, SUMMONING THE VIEWER TO ENGAGE WITH HER WORK ON A TACTILE LEVEL. EACH PIECE MORPHS INTO A COLLAGE, AN INTRICATE MOSAIC OF PERSONAL MEMORIES, REALWORLD EVENTS, AND THE UNPREDICTABLE TERRAIN OF SUBCONSCIOUS THOUGHTS.

Pink Peacock (2021). Gouache on Paper. 35 x 27.5 cm.

Gouache on Paper. 35 x 27.5cm.

THE TAIL (2022).

Hee-Jeong is also influenced by therapeutic moments spent with childhood pets and encounters with rare creatures boasting the most flamboyant aesthetics. From white peacocks adorned with cotton candy hearts, to purpletinted leopards emerging from colossal floral buds, her artistic menagerie celebrates a harmonious coexistence of animals and human forms. Fulfilling her calling, Hee-Jeong convinces us to open our imaginations and permit the fantastical to flower in everyday life.

Mixed Media on Paper. 50 x 50cm.

SNOW, FLOWER, MOON (2022).