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Art Jakarta 2019
August 30 - September 1 |
Pool with Garden_enamel and acrylic on canvas_116.5 x 91cm_2019
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Yujin KANG(1977~)
In appreciating an array of new works by Yujin Kang, it will be wise to look back on the previous works of the artist. Using paint and enamel, Artist Yujin Kang has painted subjects of cityscape where the artist herself, along with millions of other dwellers spends most of her time. The artist’s selected subjects of depiction such as geometrical shapes found in specific city architecture, the reflection of light upon the glass surface of high-rise buildings, swimming pool, galleries were painted in an anonymous manner. Their combination with uncanny subjects like oversized trees, plants and lumps of meat created tension while the dripping of enamel on canvas brought on a strong and spectacular visual effect. Now the artist has taken on a new approach and it will be helpful to bear in mind the mentioned subject and method in comparison with the style of her most recent works. Whereas Kang concentrated on representing subjects of familiar and common cityscapes in an extraordinary manner, the artist has now taken on a new set of subjects; the scenes she newly came by while on travel. The titles of new works are taken after the specific names of the touristy places like Jungfrau, Luxemburg, Bruges and exhibition spaces like the Vitra Museum, Porsche Museum and Pompidou Center. Kang has chosen to depict the famous spots she has visited instead of the intimate and personal spots she could have ventured through while on travel. Other than being all tourist attractions, these subjects share an important aspect of being all artificially made over or created to be presented to the public. The artist’s interest in this sort of well-made, public places has been traced from her previous <Gallery> series. Whether it’s architecture of Pompidou or the postcard view of the Alps, they are both products of artificial organization and refinement and artist takes interest in these designed and polished scenes, ready to be published to the public. In other words, the natural passage of time which carves out nature and its scenes are of little importance to the artist. Instead she concentrates on the artificial changes exercised onto nature and the passage of time we perceive through them. As for forms, Yujin Kang’s previous works were characterized by strong visual effect achieved by random dripping of enamel on canvas, multilateral composition, and visual dismantling and reassembling of architecture. The method pertained to the artist’s reevaluation and experiment of the rules of the perspective and two dimensionality of painting. On the other hand, in Kang’s recent works are lessened portion of the intentional fragmentation and juxtaposition. Rather, a less complicated perspective and imagery are in place, balancing each other. Many would assume that the artificial subjects of Yujin Kang’s recent works like exhibition spaces and tourist attractions were selected upon the artist’s intention to raise a social, historical or political issue or doubt and that they bear enlightening and self-reflective standpoint. Yet, the artist states her intention is to appreciate the charm and communicate it to the audience. The way Kang sees it is that there is beauty in the newest construction technology, contemporary materials and purpose of these places and scenes. To the artist, it is no longer meaningful to discriminate against artificiality and instead she chooses to celebrate it as a part of our contemporary life and further, seek charm in it. The spectacles of her previous works have dissolved into a more resolute perspective and direction to incorporate more subjectivity and familiarity. In contemporary art, the subject itself is less important than how it is perceived and expressed by the artist. The perception of visual information, selection process and depiction are key elements in Yujin Kang’s works. Kang paints scenes she experiences. Whether they are mundane scenes of everyday life or those of exotic travel matters little to the artist. The selection is entirely up to the artist who chooses upon random impression or sentimentality and whose focus is on how to balance out the surface value with the subjective perception of the scene. In result, the scenes in Kang’s recent works are familiar and easy on the eye. Besides keenly capturing the things we tend to miss under the excuse of them being too familiar an object or situation, the artist also expresses on the same scene what we had considered special eventually grows old. In other words, the scenes Kang depicts are about both surface and imagery as artist sees them. They are familiar but extraordinary, special but mundane and entirely subjective and these scenes tell us how the artist conceives of the contemporary. 2005 MA Fine Arts Department, Goldsmiths College ,University of London,England 2004 M.F.A Graduate School of Seoul National University,Seoul,Korea 2001 B.F.A College of Fine Arts, Seoul National University, Seoul,Korea Selected Solo Exhibitions 2019 Seasons, Gallery Chiyoo, Seoul, Korea 2015 Kang Yu Jin, Doosan Gallery ,New York,the United States 2012 Finding Landscapes, Gallery SUN contemporary, Seoul, Korea 2011 Into Europe, Gallery ResyMuijers, Tilburg, Netherlands 2009 Buildings,Sky and Water; Man-made Landscape, YoungEun Museum,Gyeonggi,Korea 2007 Gallery, Gallery SUN contemporary, Seoul, Korea 2006 Between,Kumho Museum,Seoul,Korea 2004 Transcape, Shinseagae Gallery, Incheon, Korea 2004 Plane Landscape, Gallerie Gaia, Seoul, Korea 2004 Giant and Tiny Landsacpe , Gallery mieum, Seoul,Korea 2003 Cafe imA,ilmin Museum of Art,Seoul,Korea Selected Group Exhibitions 2018 7th Lighting exhibition, Pyeongtaek, Korea Art: contemporary woman, Kyobo art space, Seoul 2013 Floatinf In Space, Space K, Gwangju, Korea 2011 No.45 Kumho Young Artist, Kumho Museum, Seoul, Korea 2010 Kang Yujin, Kim Hyung Gwan, Lee Joon Hyung, Space od Art.ETC, Seoul,Korea Immunity, Zaha Museum, Seoul, Korea Arcades Project, Inter Alia, Seoul, Korea 2009 Space on the Surface, Doosan gallery, Seoul, Korea SUN contemporary 0809, Gallery SUN contemporary , Seoul, Korea 2008 SUN contemporary 0708, Gallery SUN contemporary , Seoul, Korea Cantilever Left, Gallery I-MYU, London, England Emerging Art Seoul-Berlin, Berlin, Germany 2007 The Edge of Sensation II-A Slight Movement, GallerySimon, Seoul, Korea Black Powder &White Party, Art Museum of Kyunghee University, Seoul, Korea Strange Decalcomanie, Gallery Curiosty, Seoul, Korea No Bounds- Happy Contemporary 2007,Gallery SUN contemporary, Seoul, Korea 2006 Fosterart Winter Exhibition 2006, Fosterart, London, England More than words, Seoul National University, Woosuk Hall, Seoul, Korea Celeste Art Prize 06 Finalist Exhibition, The Well, London, England Below the Reader, 45 St.John Street, London, England Young Artists Crossing Europe 06-07, Tilburg, Netherlands Distance & Proximity, The Trafalgar, London, England Intersection 1, Tilbrug Netherlands Still Dynamics, Jerwood Space, London, England 2005 Daily Fragrance, Gallery SUN contemporary, Seoul, Korea Here & Now, Chinese Contemporary, London, England 2003 Art World Competition, Dawon Art Gallery,Ansan, Korea Young Artists Exhibition- New Challenge & Potentiality, Gallerie Gaia Entre Pariset Seoul, Galerie Paris Beaubourg, Paris, France 2002 NOKIA Arts Awards-Asia Pacific 2001, Silpakorn University, Bangkik, Thailand Kang Yujin & Lee,Zooyeon, Gallery Shilla, Daegu,Korea REAL(Dash) Gallery Goo, Seoul, Korea Vision 21, Sungshin Women’s University, Seoul, Korea 2001 The Direction of Arts 2001, Dongduk Art Gallery, Seoul, Korea Persist, Gallery Helloart, Seoul, Korea NOKIA Arts Awaeds-Asia pacific 2001, Gallery Thu.Fri.Sat,Seoul,Korea Korean-Chinese Students’ Interchange Exhibition, Beijing Central Arts University, Beijing, China Sejong Arts Awards, Baeksang gallery, Seoul, Korea Award & Residencies 2018 The 5th Artust Residency White Block, Cheonan, Korea 2008 The 7th Artist Residency, Youngeun Museum of Contemporary Art, Gyeonggi, Korea Emerging Art Seoul-Berlin (KIAF), Seoul, Korea 2007 Nanji studio Artist Residency, Nanji Studio, Seoul, Korea 2006 Celeste Art Prize 06 Finalist, London, england 2001 NOKIA Aets Awards? Asia Pacific Finalist, Bangkok,Thailand The 4th Sejong Arts Awards, Sejong University, Seoul, Korea |
