Artist Choi Jeong-yeon Blends Korean Court Painting with Western Masterpieces in Solo Show
Creatrip Team
5 months ago
From November 5–17, Gallery Artgaga hosts Choi Jeong-yeon’s solo exhibition “Brilliant Birth, And Then,” showcasing works that fuse traditional Korean court painting techniques with Western art influences. Choi abandoned her earlier Western-style practice after encountering the living energy (giwoonsaengdong) of historical Korean painting and began studying Korean painting again. She merges the contrasting materials, philosophies and methods of East and West on a single canvas—a difficult process that involved long periods of meticulous layering and a deep creative slump. Her works feature techniques such as repeated overpainting to achieve rich color and the ‘barim’ technique (a traditional gradation method achieved through more than 10,000 brush touches) for texture. Many pieces explore spiritual themes—though not religious herself, Choi finds solace in depictions of prayer and hopes viewers feel the same. She signs her pieces “Soul Monster,” a symbol of the light and darkness, love and hatred within her creative self. Choi says she aims to present truthful, heart-felt works that move viewers without explanation.
