Vibes and Vistas Korean Art Magazine - Issue 1

INSUE KIM

/ PAGE 20

IN NATURE

WONTAE LEE

/ PAGE 36

JIYOUNG SON

Paint your life in Minhwa wishes

/ PAGE 44

P/04 MIKYOUNG KIM SYMPHONY OF THE SPIRIT

P/20 INSUE KIM THE FOREST BREATHES

P/36 WONTAE LEE UNDER THE SKIN

P/52 JOOHA SIM FLOWER TO EMPOWER

P/66 SOYOUNG AHN JOURNEY OF MY OWN

CONTENTS

P/12 YEJIN SHIN TOWARDS THEIR SHORE

P/28 GYEONG-AH GU EMOTIONAL TEMPERATURE

P/44 JIYOUNG SON MAKE A WISH

P/58 JIN SOOK NAM SPROUT OF HOPE

P/74 ZINNA YOO MODERN MOONLIGHT

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

ARTWORKS: GYEONG-AH GU / INSUE KIM / JINSOOK NAM / JIYOUNG SON / JOOHA SIM / MIKYOUNG KIM / SOYOUNG AHN / WONTAE LEE / YEJIN SHIN / ZINNA YOO ©

P. 20

P. 36

P. 44

EDITOR’S NOTE

Dear Readers,

I would like to invite you all on a journey into the very soul of artistic healing. As you leaf through the pages of Issue 1, you will join our talented Korean artists as they harness the raw, unfiltered power of Mother Earth’s embrace. I encourage you to delve deeper, wander through elemental portals at will, and discover for yourself a therapeutic realm where art and nature so beautifully entwine. Let go, open your mind, and allow their colors, textures, and symbolic tapestries to blur the boundaries between cosmos and canvas, and serenade your senses with the secrets of redemption, rejuvenation and renewal. From inked forests on hanji to oriental pigments that burst in brushstrokes and floral bunches, prepare to be dazzled, disoriented and fundamentally transformed by the healing rhythms of the K-Art universe.

STEWART COLLINS Editor-in-Chief

AS A CHOREOGRAPHER, MIKYOUNG’S HUES CRESCENDO INTO RESOUNDING VISUAL SOLILOQUIES THAT COMFORT THE SOUL.

Symphony of the Spirit (2022). Oil on Canvas. 73 x 91cm.

Symphony of the Spirit (2021). Oil on Canvas. 50 x 50cm.

MIKYOUNG KIM

AT NATURE’S BEATING HEART, PETALS PLAY TO A SYMPHONY OF THE SPIRIT

Upon Mikyoung Kim’s canvas, a captivating ballet commences – an intricate interplay between pigments of varying densities and the fluid caress of turpentine. Herein lies her unique concord of tender melancholy and exuberant elation, a healing harmony born from the depths of emotion.

As Mikyoung’s brush relinquishes control to gravity and the delicate pull of surface tension, her layers gather like fragile petals of wonder. Like ethereal partners, they form alliances of color that gracefully collide and blend, an unpredictable pas de deux that resonates with harmonious chaos.

Symphony of the Spirit (2021). Oil on Canvas. 162x 130cm.

OIL ON CANVAS

SYMPHONY OF THE SPIRIT (2021)

OIL ON CANVAS

SYMPHONY OF THE SPIRIT (2021)

MIKYOUNG’S ARTISTRY EXTENDS BEYOND THE CANVAS; IT EVOLVES INTO A DELIBERATE HOMAGE TO ERAS PAST, A REVERENT RECLAMATION OF ANCIENT LANDSCAPES IMBUED WITH EMOTIONS LONG FORGOTTEN.

Her creations emerge from a time when communion with nature was not just practiced, but revered, offering a sense of healing in its presence. In an era that so often obscures such intimate connections, Mikyoung’s distinctive and entrancing terrains reconnect her audience with the world of flora, rekindling a once harmonious relationship with the soothing rhythms of the earth.

Symphony of the Spirit (2022). Oil on Canvas. 112.1 x 145.4cm.

SYMPHONY OF THE SPIRIT (2020)

Symphony of the Spirit (2020).

Oil on Canvas. 130

YEJIN SHIN

UNICORNS RIDE AGAINST THE FLOW, ON GILDED WAVES TOWARDS THEIR SHORE

In a bold departure from her previous life as a fashion designer, Yejin Shin emerges as a guiding light of artistic expression, casting forth a vibrant seascape of emotions that cascade and meld like glistening streams of consciousness. Her works stand out as a profound tribute to the journey of selfdiscovery, a visual journal that unfolds in waves of meaning with every stroke.

In the past, Yejin’s creativity was ensnared within the contours of the capitalist world. At the same time, her heart was drawn to the exquisite artistry of illustration, as well as the euphoric pleasure of giving life to the ethereal figments of her untapped imagination.

For Yejin, the reverberations of motherhood set in motion a daring transformation. Empowered, she bid adieu to the fashion world and embarked on a pilgrimage of introspection. Suddenly, her canvas became a sanctum for mental decluttering and an immersive arena for the articulation of long-buried truths.

Although liberated, Yejin is by no means immune from the impulses of creative stagnation, those elusive moments when inspiration falters and the specter of inadequacy looms. In the absence of flow, the` currents of trepidation threaten to contaminate the once pristine clarity of her vision.

IN THE EXPANSE OF HER COMPOSITIONS, YEJIN’S ARTISTIC RIPPLES RADIATE SOOTHING VIBES UPON THE TUMULTUOUS WATERS OF EXISTENCE.

Acrylic and Mixed Media on Canvas. 72.7 x 60.6cm.

FLOWING SPLENDIDLY 20 (2022).

FLOWING SPLENDIDLY 8 (2022).

Acrylic and Mixed Media on Canvas. 116.7 x 91cm.

FLOWING SPLENDIDLY 9 (2022).

Acrylic and Mixed Media on Canvas. 100 x 80.3cm.

Yejin, however, is no passive victim; she deftly forges her own refuge from the clamor, stepping back and re-connecting with the subtle wonders of daily life beyond her studio walls. Through this deliberate interlude, the intricate knots of uncertainty begin to unravel and revelations dawn like heavenly lights at the end of the creative tunnel.

Suddenly, her audience is drenched in transformative waves of healing and an immersive sensory embrace. As one bears witness to the fruits of Yejin’s creative renaissance, they are captivated by the fluidity of her artistic narrative, each brushstroke an intimate whisper, a testimony to the resolute human spirit and its quest for truth, beauty, and enduring connection against the odds.

Acrylic and Mixed Media on Canvas. 100 x 80.3cm.

FLOWING SPLENDIDLY 15 (2022).

Acrylic and Mixed Media on Canvas. 60.6 x 50cm.

FLOWING SPLENDIDLY 22 (2022).

INSUE KIM

WHEN THE FOREST BREATHES, SCALE HER TREES INTO CANOPIES AND CLEARINGS OF CALM AND SERENITY

Peering through the pane of her studio window, Insue Kim’s gaze alighted upon an entrancing trail, an alluring thread that wove its way to Mt. Morak and onward to the sprawling Baegun Lake beyond. From Inje Birch Forest to Namhae Boriam Hermitage, she embarked upon a solitary sojourn, traversing storied landscapes and releasing her spirit amidst the very heartbeats of Korean nature.

As echoes resonating from the woods, Insue’s sketches find their way back to her sanctuary, transfiguring her studio into a realm of the transcendent, an ethereal space where energies pulse, flow, and reverberate eternally. Rather than mimic the visible world, she distills the essence of arboreal presence into her canvas, molding the forest’s forms to mirror her mood.

Comfort (2015). Ink Wash on Hanji. 100 x 70cm.

Ink Wash on Hanji. 130 x 97cm.

SILENT POWER (2019).

PHOTO: INSUE KIM

Guided by her conceptual cartography, she orchestrates intricate arboreal vignettes upon hanji, etching the black ink and overlapping the delicate sheets as she goes. Soon, her canvas lends itself to fits of spontaneity, begetting the wondrous imperfections that infuse her creations with an untamed sense of beauty.

For those encased within the urban sprawl, Insue’s compositions bestow generous expanses of untouched canvas, realms of void where the zephyrs twirl and the heavens unfurl. In these sublime interstices, her art channels the very fluidity of the wind, emulating the celestial vastness above. With each stroke, each omission, her hand inscribes an ode to the divine interplay between space and form, encouraging us to transcend the concreteness of the mundane, and move to the healing cadence of nature’s melodic tune.

Mindset (2016). Ink Wash on Hanji. 70 x 131cm.

Time Perspective (2016). Ink Wash on Hanji. 163 x 130cm.

Ink Wash on Hanji. 130 x 97cm.

SILENT POWER (2016).

Ink Wash on Hanji. 61 x 91cm.

QUERENCIA (2020).

GYEONG-AH GU

ABSORB MOTHER NATURE’S EMOTIONAL TEMPERATURE AS IT FLUCTUATES TO THE COLORS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE

Gyeong-Ah Gu’s semi-figurative acrylic compositions stand as a resplendent tapestry woven with threads of emotional resonance, meticulously extracted from the wellspring of the natural world. Tactile and enchanting, her unique works unveil the roots of interpersonal pain, each layer of which pulsates with its own emotional cadence. For Gyeong-Ah, the canvas becomes a crucible for transformation, a thermometer of the soul with which to measure the mercury of human experience and trace the contours of an inner terrain so often uncharted.

Gyeong-Ah’s sensorial outbursts harmonize evocative color combinations with complex organic forms as if to nurture us forth on an expedition of the spirit. In transit, the audience beholds the birth of a nexus of revelation, an enchanted garden wherein long-held anxieties unkink like nourished roots. Here, the anguish of old transmutes with a palpable sense of relief, donning new hues and intensities, propelled by the winds of change.

Acrylic on Canvas. 91 x

Layers (2021). Oil on Canvas. 90.9 x 72.7cm.

Oil on Canvas. 122 x 210cm.

LAYERS (2018).

WONTAE LEE

OPEN THE CRACKS, PENETRATE THE SURFACE, AND FIND THE TRUTH

CONCEALED BENEATH THE SKIN

In the quiet chambers of Wontae Lee’s studio, an extraordinary tale unfolds – a tale crafted from the very fabric of human existence and etched into the enduring pages of nature’s book. For Wontae, the fallen callus is a testament to his body’s armor and a silent sentinel against the abrasions of daily toil. Inspired by its detachment, he masterfully infuses his canvases with an ineffable quality and a tangible essence of emotion that seeps into the consciousness of those who behold. In Wontae’s mind, the passage of time takes center stage, shifting its gaze from vantage points both past and present. Scratching the surface, he constructs a delicate bridge between the resilience of the callus and the many stories of sorrow and joy embedded within its pores.

AS RAW AS IT SEEMS, HE PUTS HIS AUDIENCE UNDER THE MICROSCOPE, TRANSPORTING THEM TO A REALM WHERE COMPLEX MEMORIES NESTLE AND UNFOLD, WHERE TURBULENT CHAPTERS ARE INSCRIBED IN THE LINES ETCHED UPON THE SKIN OF EXPERIENCE.

Oil on Canvas. 65 x 45.5cm.

LAYERS (2022).

Layers (2018). Oil on Canvas. 180 x 122cm.

Layers (2018). Oil on Canvas. 180 x 122cm.

Layers (2018). Oil on Canvas. 122 x 63cm.

Oil on Canvas. 70 x 70cm.

LAYERS (2022).

Oil on Canvas. 100 x 100cm.

LAYERS (2022).

Layers (2017).

Oil on Canvas. 120 x 60cm.

A Crane’s Wish (2021). Pigments on Hanji. 80 x 160cm.

JIYOUNG SON

ONCE POISED ON THE VERGE OF OBLIVION, JIYOUNG’S DREAMS, LIKE ELUSIVE MURMURS, SEEMED DESTINED TO DISSOLVE INTO THE DARKNESS.

Mixed Media on Hanji. 115 x 88cm.

A WOMAN’S WISH (2021).

THE COMPOSITION OF OUR DREAMS MAY VARY, BUT THE DESIRE FOR THEM TO COME TRUE FOREVER REMAINS THE SAME

Jiyoung clung to life and set out on an upward climb from the trenches of desolation to the pinnacle of creative eloquence. Nowadays, within the black and white expanse of her Minhwa paintings, she inserts a collection of silent prayers. Each brushstroke becomes a stanza, a fragment of her recovery that converges into a dialogue between light and shadow. Here, the ephemeral relationship between vulnerability and perseverance plays out and culminates in a manifesto of unwavering resolve against the caprices of fate.

Jiyoung’s influence also extends to the Harang Society, an art collective who share their personal aspirations through the medium of art. At the intersection of artistic expression and communal purpose - she fleshes out cranes, phoenixes and avian denizens - all of which fly high and deliver dreams of health, prosperity and unity as they go.

Mixed Media on Hanji. 30 x 110cm.

DREAMS OF PLEASURE AND PAIN (2021).

Pigments on Hanji. 80 x 50cm.

A WISH FOR HAPPINESS (2020).

Pigments on Hanji. 80 x 50cm.

A WISH FOR HAPPINESS (2020).

A Wish for Flight (2021). Pigments on Hanji.

JOOHA SIM

RIVERS FLOW, PIGMENTS GLOW & FLOWERS BEGIN TO EMPOWER

Jooha Sim is inspired by the fluid elegance of oriental brushwork, her creative fire fueled by Seoul’s nocturnal pulse. Indeed, the charms of the Han River course through her works, flaunting a spectrum of colors that mirror the vivacious poppies that blossom under the night’s enigmatic shroud. Jooha opens up an evocative dialogue between urban luminosity and artistic expression. Set against a backdrop adorned with jet black ink on hanji, she achieves a remarkable resurgence, where vivid splashes of pigments amalgamate into intricate floral forms like celestial sparks.

A Caress of Florescence (2020). Pigments, Gold and Silver Powder on Hanji.

Pigments, Gold and Silver Powder on Hanji. 130.3 x 193.9cm.

COLLECTIVE TIME AMIDST THE DARKNESS (2021).

Pigments on Jangji. 50 x 50cm.

A CARESS OF FLORESCENCE (2021).

BETWEEN THE VIBRANT CITYSCAPE AND THE RADIANT BLOOMS, A CYCLE OF BLOOMING AND FADING FINDS VOICE, A POIGNANT REFLECTION ON THE DELICATE NATURE OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE AS WELL AS A FLICKER OF HOPE FOR THOSE MOMENTARILY BLINDED BY THE NEON GLOW.

JINSOOK NAM

EXTRACT THE TORMENT THAT WRESTLES WITHIN AND SPROUT LIKE SAPLINGS AGAINST THE GRAIN

Once upon a time, Jin Sook Nam picked up a 4B pencil and sketched self-portraits to kill some minutes. Although private, her many works reflected the anguish and contradictory sentiments that plagued her from the verge of rock bottom. On a beautiful spring’s day back in 2009, Jin Sook went for a wander around Deoksugung Palace. With a wintry gale hanging in the air, she walked a familiar route and spotted a

light green object protruding subtly through the hardened surface of the distant bark. This unassuming sprout captivated Jin Sook that day, setting in motion the creation of a remarkable series of botanical paintings that would go on to change her life. From the shackles of depression, this series symbolized her decision to reclaim control of her life and once again water the withered contents of her darkened mind.

Sprout 6 (2012). Oil Pastel on Canvas. 112 x 162 cm.

Self-portrait 5_Autumn (2005). Pencil on Paper. 35 x 35 cm.

Sprout 13_Rose (2014). Oil on Canvas. 33.5 x 45.5 cm.

A Perfect Chair (2008). Oil on Canvas. 91 x 116.8cm.

These days, Jin Sook visits botanical gardens and local parks to observe the sprouts and kicks off each day by painting something in the wild that catches her eye. In the form of bubbles, she showcases nature’s hidden power and endless potential for growth. Having observed the plants for so long, she now considers herself one of them. While Jin Sook cannot predict when her flower will blossom, she continues to grow in her own way, one painting at a time.

Flower of Fortune (2018). Oil on Canvas. 40.9 x 52.9cm.

Oil on Canvas. 91 x 116.6cm.

PLANT (2018).

Pigments on Jangji. 35 x 52cm.

PLANT 1_2 (2017).

SOYOUNG AHN

FEEL THE BREEZE OF A TENDER DAWN AND LET THE LIGHT OF RESILIENCE GUIDE THE WAY

In a world fraught with uncertainty, Soyoung Ahn’s landscapes release us from the cocoon of insecurity. For her, healing is not a distant mirage, but a tangible truth to be grasped and cherished to the full. Set amidst the shifting of the seasons, Soyoung’s trees stand resolute as beacons of empowerment for those grappling with turmoil along the path to self-discovery. These arboreal emblems, rendered with acrylic mastery, extend their branches as a balm for souls adrift, offering refuge and strength in equal measure.

Gaze_21 (2022). Acrylic on Canvas. 31.8 x 40.9cm.

BEFORE DAWN BREAKS (2021)

What Soyoung achieves with her compositions is more than mere representation – it is an exercise in recalibrating her bearings and redefining a relationship with the world around. The vast reaches of her canvas, framed against the backdrop of a larger natural order, magnify one’s existence to a humbling state of insignificance. This perspective, far from diminishing, invokes a profound solace, offering a perspective where life’s complexities find equilibrium in a sacred sphere between light and wind.

Between Light and Wind (2022). Acrylic on Canvas. 65 x 65cm.

Beyond (2022). Mixed Media on Canvas. 80.3 x 80.3cm.

Acrylic and Oil on Canvas. 33.5 x 53cm.

BEYOND (2021).

ZINNA YOO

VENTURE BEYOND THE DARKNESS AND SOAR HIGH IN BRIGHT AND THERAPEUTIC SKIES

Vibrant yet tranquil, Zinna Yoo’s paintings offer a sanctuary of calm amidst the tempests of our times. Steeped in natural tradition, her oriental aesthetic opens therapeutic windows of color capable of revitalizing even the weariest of minds. She crafts a visual haven – a landscape of stillness that defies haste and serves as a counterpoint to the desolation of the soul.

MODERN MOONLIGHT (2021).

IN HER MESMERIZING “BLUE BIRD” SERIES, ZINNA VISUALIZES THE TALE OF ETHEREAL HATCHLINGS AS THEY SPROUT UNDER THE MOON’S TENDER GAZE.

Acrylic and Oil on Canvas. 90.9 x 72.7cm.

Blue Bird (2021). Acrylic on Canvas. 80 x 116.5cm.

Mixed Media on Canvas. 53 x 45.5cm.

BEYOND (2021).

Taking flight, they sprinkle a palpable elixir of faith, hope and joy across clear autumnal skies and boundless stretches of water. The canvas becomes a testament to resilience and a reminder that every fall is but a prelude to a triumphant rise. In this sense, Zinna’s works inspire us to traverse beyond the confines of the mundane and seek vistas of richer, warmer and more luminous perspectives in modern times.

Acrylic and Oil on Canvas. 80 x 80cm.

BEYOND (2022).