Catalog: Artists (107)

Kim Young Mi Celadon. The color of this organic form is stunning, and upholds a long tradition of beautiful Korean celadons. Kim Young Mi says, "My ceramic works are a form of meditation - my humble attempts to live in grace like an open vessel, empty and yet full, of giving and receiving." Kim Young Mi's ceramics, with her inner thoughts woven into the clay, are the end results of her meditation. They quietly stir the human heart. They transform ordinary clay into the extraordinary. This piece was recently displayed in the exhibition, Korean Contemporary Ceramics at the Korea Society. This was an historic exhibition, as it was the first group exhibition of Korean contemporary ceramics in New York. 12w x 9.5h inches, 30.5w x 24h cm.

Kim Young Mi Unglazed Wood-Fired Stoneware. Kim Young Mi subjects these pieces to eight wood-firings, until the ash from the firing has performed all of its organic magic on the surfaces of these living, breathing works of art, giving incomparable texture and color to her nature-loving forms. Kim Young Mi renews the pristine artistic intention of humanity. She says, "My ceramic works are a form of meditation - my humble attempts to live in grace like an open vessel, empty and yet full, of giving and receiving." Kim Young Mi's ceramics, with her inner thoughts woven into the clay, are the end results of her meditation. They quietly stir the human heart. They transform ordinary clay into the extraordinary. This piece was recently displayed in the exhibition, Korean Contemporary Ceramics at the Korea Society. This was an historic exhibition, as it was the first group exhibition of Korean contemporary ceramics in New York. 20w x 11h inches, 51w x 28h cm.

This piece was just recently displayed at the Korea Society exhibition, Korean Contemporary Ceramics, the first exhibition on this subject in New York. Kang Jong Sook is easily the most ubiquitous Korean ceramic artist in America. She has been at the forefront of the contemporary ceramic art scene in New York for two decades now. Kang has had solo exhibitions at the Hammond Museum, Montclair State University Museum, Bratislava Museum, Dai Ichi Gallery, and Tong In Gallery, among others. She is a founding member of the biannual East & West Clay Works Exhibition. She is the owner of a successful ceramic studio and school. Height: 17 inches (43 cm), Width: 18 inches (45.75 cm).

This is an important painting in Korean art history. It was featured as the very first illustration, Plate Number 1, in the catalogue of the historic Korean Cultural Service exhibition, Coloring Time, the first exhibition ever to cover the history of Korean art in America. This is Dragon in the Fog, painted in 1997 by Renowned Korean Artist Don Ahn aka Ahn Dong Kuk (1937 - 2013). Don Ahn was a pioneer of Korean art in America. In the 1950s he was the first to move permanently to the US and receive recognition here, beginning with the 1952 exhibition of his work at the Kilbride Bradley Gallery in Minneapolis, the very first exhibition of Korean contemporary art in America. His work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and other major museums. There was recently an exhibition of Don Ahn's work at the Walter Wickiser Gallery in New York's Chelsea art district. Acrylic on paper. 28.5 x 21 inches, 72.25 x 53.25 cm. See also preeminent art critic Holland Cotter's review of Don Ahn's work in the April 4, 1997 New York Times article, Of Asians Among the Abstractionists, where he describes Don's paintings as "Exuberant" and "Inspired by Zen brushwork".

My Body III, a rare charcoal created in 1965 by Renowned Korean Artist Don Ahn aka Ahn Dong Kuk (1937 - 2013). Don Ahn was a pioneer of Korean art in America. In the 1950s he was the first to move permanently to the US and receive recognition here, beginning with the 1952 exhibition of his work at the Kilbride Bradley Gallery in Minneapolis, the very first exhibition of Korean contemporary art in America. His work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and other major museums. There was recently an exhibition of Don Ahn's work at the Walter Wickiser Gallery in New York's Chelsea art district. 25 x 20 inches, 63.5 x 51 cm. See also preeminent art critic Holland Cotter's review of Don Ahn's work in the April 4, 1997 New York Times article, Of Asians Among the Abstractionists, where he describes Don's paintings as "Exuberant" and "Inspired by Zen brushwork".

Rare Artist's Proof Lithograph, Cosmogony No. 7 (Formation of living form) created in 1965 by Renowned Korean Artist Don Ahn aka Ahn Dong Kuk (1937 - 2013). Don Ahn was a pioneer of Korean art in America. In the 1950s he was the first to move permanently to the US and receive recognition here, beginning with the 1952 exhibition of his work at the Kilbride Bradley Gallery in Minneapolis, the very first exhibition of Korean contemporary art in America. His work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and other major museums. There was recently an exhibition of Don Ahn's work at the Walter Wickiser Gallery in New York's Chelsea art district. 25 x 20 inches, 63.5 x 51 cm. See also preeminent art critic Holland Cotter's review of Don Ahn's work in the April 4, 1997 New York Times article, Of Asians Among the Abstractionists, where he describes Don's paintings as "Exuberant" and "Inspired by Zen brushwork".

Lee Seung O's innovative paper assemblage, 36 x 26 inches, 91 x 66 cm. Lee's work is in the permanent collection of many major museums, including the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Seoul, and he has an excellent auction record, with not a single work going unsold in the many major auctions that have listed his work over the last several years, including Christie's. It is said of Lee Seung O that he is an old spirit with a young mind. While so many young Korean artists are looking to the West for guidance, Lee has found inspiration in the soulful symbolism of traditional Korean folk art. His work is a most inventive and unrestrained interpretation of this tradition, true to the creative spirit of Korean folk art. He has created an entirely new technique of stacking colored paper and wetting the stacks so that they will be stuck together when they dry, then cutting the stacks into strips, and then assembling 'painting-like' compositions that use the edge of the stacks of paper, creating exciting works of great textural density. His work uses an everyday material to make us look at objects (and the world) from a different viewpoint and in an entirely new way, reminding us that innovation and beauty shouldn’t be forced or contrived and needn’t be sought in unknown regions, but can be rooted in tradition and found naturally.

Lee Seung O's innovative paper assemblage, 32 x 24 inches, 81 x 61 cm. Lee's work is in the permanent collection of many major museums, including the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Seoul, and he has an excellent auction record, with not a single work going unsold in the many major auctions that have listed his work over the last several years, including Christie's. It is said of Lee Seung O that he is an old spirit with a young mind. While so many young Korean artists are looking to the West for guidance, Lee has found inspiration in the soulful symbolism of traditional Korean folk art. His work is a most inventive and unrestrained interpretation of this tradition, true to the creative spirit of Korean folk art. He has created an entirely new technique of stacking colored paper and wetting the stacks so that they will be stuck together when they dry, then cutting the stacks into strips, and then assembling 'painting-like' compositions that use the edge of the stacks of paper, creating exciting works of great textural density. His work uses an everyday material to make us look at objects (and the world) from a different viewpoint and in an entirely new way, reminding us that innovation and beauty shouldn’t be forced or contrived and needn’t be sought in unknown regions, but can be rooted in tradition and found naturally.

Won Ju Seo's work is featured in the Spring 2013 issue of Fiber Art Now, and in the recently-published McGraw-Hill fine arts textbook, Art Talk. The work offered here is Color in My Surroundings 5 by Won Ju Seo. Frame: 13 x 11 inches (33 x 28 cm); Textile: 8.25 x 7.25 inches (21 x 18.5 cm). Hand-sewn with Korean silk and silk thread. The work of Korean textile artist, Won Ju Seo, is in major museums and prominent collections. She is renowned for her modern approach to the bojagi, the traditional Korean wrapping cloth that has been the subject of many museum exhibitions lately. The superiority of her breath-taking technique is matched by the artistry of her designs and the creative beauty of her palette. The dazzling juxtaposed geometrics are inspired by and pay tribute to the anonymous women who created bojagi for hundreds of years, while the gorgeous colors of Won Ju Seo's palette are unique to her modern creations.

Won Ju Seo's recent exhibition is featured in the December 3, 2015 New York Times, and she is featured in the Spring 2013 issue of Fiber Art Now, and in the recently-published McGraw-Hill fine arts textbook, Art Talk. The work offered here is Color in My Surroundings 18 by Won Ju Seo. Frame: 11 x 9 inches (28 x 23 cm); Textile: 5.5 x 3.5 inches (14 x 9 cm). Hand-sewn with Korean silk, silk thread, and beads. The work of Korean textile artist, Won Ju Seo, is in major museums and prominent collections. She is renowned for her modern approach to the bojagi, the traditional Korean wrapping cloth that has been the subject of many museum exhibitions lately. The superiority of her breath-taking technique is matched by the artistry of her designs and the creative beauty of her palette. The dazzling juxtaposed geometrics are inspired by and pay tribute to the anonymous women who created bojagi for hundreds of years, while the gorgeous colors of Won Ju Seo's palette are unique to her modern creations.

Won Ju Seo's recent exhibition is featured in the December 3, 2015 New York Times, and she is featured in the Spring 2013 issue of Fiber Art Now, and in the recently-published McGraw-Hill fine arts textbook, Art Talk. The work offered here is Bojagi Diary 2013-1 by Won Ju Seo. Frame: 10 x 10 inches (25.5 x 25.5 cm); Textile: 5.25 x 5.25 inches (13.5 x 13.5 cm). Handmade, sewn and embroidered with Korean silk, metallic cloth, silk thread, foam board, and pigment. The work of Korean textile artist, Won Ju Seo, is in major museums and prominent collections. She is renowned for her modern approach to the bojagi, the traditional Korean wrapping cloth that has been the subject of many museum exhibitions lately. The superiority of her breath-taking technique is matched by the artistry of her designs and the creative beauty of her palette. The dazzling juxtaposed geometrics are inspired by and pay tribute to the anonymous women who created bojagi for hundreds of years, while the gorgeous colors of Won Ju Seo's palette are unique to her modern creations.

Won Ju Seo's recent exhibition is featured in the December 3, 2015 New York Times, and she is featured in the Spring 2013 issue of Fiber Art Now, and in the recently-published McGraw-Hill fine arts textbook, Art Talk. The work offered here is Bojagi Diary 2013-2 by Won Ju Seo. Frame: 10 x 10 inches (25.5 x 25.5 cm); Textile: 5.25 x 5.25 inches (13.5 x 13.5 cm). Handmade, sewn and embroidered with Korean silk, metallic cloth, silk thread, foam board, and pigment. The work of Korean textile artist, Won Ju Seo, is in major museums and prominent collections. She is renowned for her modern approach to the bojagi, the traditional Korean wrapping cloth that has been the subject of many museum exhibitions lately. The superiority of her breath-taking technique is matched by the artistry of her designs and the creative beauty of her palette. The dazzling juxtaposed geometrics are inspired by and pay tribute to the anonymous women who created bojagi for hundreds of years, while the gorgeous colors of Won Ju Seo's palette are unique to her modern creations.

Oil Painting by Jeon Joon Yeop. 64 x 38 inches, 162 x 97 cm. Jeon Joon Yeop (born 1953) is a well-known artist in South Korea, with numerous art reviews. He was the top-selling artist in last year’s Korea International Art Fair, Korea’s biggest art fair. Instead of finding comfort in his successes, Jeon accepts popularity as a challenge to further explore how to speak the ancient language of Korean landscape painting with a modern vocabulary of techniques, such as pouring, scratching, spreading, soaking, smudging, blowing, and densely recoating oil paint onto the canvas. Another seemingly modern technique that Jeon employs, the presentation of multiple viewpoints in a single painting, is actually an ancient technique in East Asian painting. Jeon even adds the viewpoint of the person in the painting, creating an attachment for the viewer of the painting so that the landscape is not objective and detached, thus keeping, and sharing, the Korean traditional subjective and harmonious view of nature.

Oil Painting by Jeon Joon Yeop. 46 x 32 inches, 117 x 81 cm. Jeon Joon Yeop (born 1953) is a well-known artist in South Korea, with numerous art reviews. He was the top-selling artist in last year’s Korea International Art Fair, Korea’s biggest art fair. Instead of finding comfort in his successes, Jeon accepts popularity as a challenge to further explore how to speak the ancient language of Korean landscape painting with a modern vocabulary of techniques, such as pouring, scratching, spreading, soaking, smudging, blowing, and densely recoating oil paint onto the canvas. Another seemingly modern technique that Jeon employs, the presentation of multiple viewpoints in a single painting, is actually an ancient technique in East Asian painting. Jeon even adds the viewpoint of the person in the painting, creating an attachment for the viewer of the painting so that the landscape is not objective and detached, thus keeping, and sharing, the Korean traditional subjective and harmonious view of nature.

Oil Painting by Jeon Joon Yeop. 46 x 32 inches, 117 x 81 cm. Jeon Joon Yeop (born 1953) is a well-known artist in South Korea, with numerous art reviews. He was the top-selling artist in last year’s Korea International Art Fair, Korea’s biggest art fair. Instead of finding comfort in his successes, Jeon accepts popularity as a challenge to further explore how to speak the ancient language of Korean landscape painting with a modern vocabulary of techniques, such as pouring, scratching, spreading, soaking, smudging, blowing, and densely recoating oil paint onto the canvas. Another seemingly modern technique that Jeon employs, the presentation of multiple viewpoints in a single painting, is actually an ancient technique in East Asian painting. Jeon even adds the viewpoint of the person in the painting, creating an attachment for the viewer of the painting so that the landscape is not objective and detached, thus keeping, and sharing, the Korean traditional subjective and harmonious view of nature.

Oil Painting by Jeon Joon Yeop. 36 x 25.5 inches, 91 x 65 cm. Jeon Joon Yeop (born 1953) is a well-known artist in South Korea, with numerous art reviews. He was the top-selling artist in last year’s Korea International Art Fair, Korea’s biggest art fair. Instead of finding comfort in his successes, Jeon accepts popularity as a challenge to further explore how to speak the ancient language of Korean landscape painting with a modern vocabulary of techniques, such as pouring, scratching, spreading, soaking, smudging, blowing, and densely recoating oil paint onto the canvas. Another seemingly modern technique that Jeon employs, the presentation of multiple viewpoints in a single painting, is actually an ancient technique in East Asian painting. Jeon even adds the viewpoint of the person in the painting, creating an attachment for the viewer of the painting so that the landscape is not objective and detached, thus keeping, and sharing, the Korean traditional subjective and harmonious view of nature.

Oil Painting by Jeon Joon Yeop. 29 x 21 inches, 73 x 53 cm. Jeon Joon Yeop (born 1953) is a well-known artist in South Korea, with numerous art reviews. He was the top-selling artist in last year’s Korea International Art Fair, Korea’s biggest art fair. Instead of finding comfort in his successes, Jeon accepts popularity as a challenge to further explore how to speak the ancient language of Korean landscape painting with a modern vocabulary of techniques, such as pouring, scratching, spreading, soaking, smudging, blowing, and densely recoating oil paint onto the canvas. Another seemingly modern technique that Jeon employs, the presentation of multiple viewpoints in a single painting, is actually an ancient technique in East Asian painting. Jeon even adds the viewpoint of the person in the painting, creating an attachment for the viewer of the painting so that the landscape is not objective and detached, thus keeping, and sharing, the Korean traditional subjective and harmonious view of nature.

Woo Jong Taek (born 1973) paints with ink and watercolor on both sides of the paper, combining the ancient techniques of Goryeo Dynasty Buddhist painting with modern techniques to create compositions that are deeply contemplative meditations on our modern times, casting the 21st Century everyman as Bodhisattva, offering us a thoughtful way to see our world. Woo is in touch with Korea's ancient history while he is also informed by the modern minjung 'people's movement' in art. His paintings are a rare and paradoxical combination of bold brushwork and sensitive rendering, and characters that seem timid, but are confident in their compassion. They reward repeated viewing with a variety of emotions, ‘hope’ being chief among them. 67 x 54 inches, 170 x 136 cm.