[비즈한국] “Among the people, there is an island. I want to go to that island.” - From the poem 'Island' by Chung Hyun-jong
Artist Jeon Jun-yeop, who has built a unique body of work over the past 40 years focusing on the modernization of Korean aesthetics, is holding a solo exhibition titled 'I Want to Go to That Island' from June 9 to 27 at Omae Gallery in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. This exhibition marks the first public showcase of 25 new pieces that the artist has been passionately working on since last summer.
The 'I Want to Go to That Island' series is an extension of the artist's previous 'In the Garden of Light' series. Inspired by poet Chung Hyun-jong's poem 'Island', he visualizes the restoration of human relationships and communication, as well as the hopes and goals everyone carries within their hearts, using the 'island' as a medium.
Notably, the artist has shattered the misguided perception held by some in the Korean contemporary art scene—that bold color usage is an influence from Japan—and has instead brought our indigenous 'dynamism (dynamic beauty)' to the forefront. He emphasizes that traditional shamanistic beliefs, the vivid colors seen in weddings and funerals, the dancheong (decorative coloring) of royal palaces, and the bold expressive power of today's world-leading K-Culture are the true foundations of Korean aesthetics.
This exhibition moves away from the past literati painting tradition, which was often 'painting to be read,' and focuses on 'painting to be seen' through intense color harmony, geometric plane compositions, and dynamic brushwork. Using oil as a base, he mixed in acrylics and mediums, employing a diverse pictorial language that includes the dripping technique for the night sky, the scratching technique for realistic rock textures, and the impasto technique to add vitality. In particular, the depiction of the island—the core of the work—was completed in a single, bold gesture using rough brushes and knives to maximize dynamism and the effect of spontaneity.
Artist Jeon Jun-yeop stated, “We all have 'that island' in our hearts. That island represents a goal or a wish we want to achieve. I have 'that island' too. It is the 'modernization of Korean beauty,' which has been the goal of my artistic life.” He added, “I wanted to realize the modernization of Korean aesthetics by expressing beauty through a pictorial language of intense color, geometric compositions, and strong brushstrokes.”
Jeon Jun-yeop is a mid-career painter who graduated from the Department of Painting at Chung-Ang University and has held 43 solo exhibitions in major cities around the world, including Seoul, Tokyo, Paris, and New York. He has participated in over 350 curated exhibitions, including the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s '70th Anniversary of Liberation: Trends in Korean Contemporary Art,' and over 100 art fairs. He has received awards such as the Grand Prize at the Busan International Art Fair and the Korea Art Critics Association Award. He is the author of several art books, including 'Reading Hidden Paintings of an Artist,' and is also the organizer of the 'Korean Art Support Project.'
An official from Omae Gallery stated, “In an era where K-Culture is recognized as a global trend, the bold colors and dynamic energy shown by artist Jeon Jun-yeop will serve as an opportunity to confirm the true power of Korean art.”
The exhibition is open for viewing from Tuesday to Saturday, 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and is closed on Sundays and Mondays.