HWAA

Geum SaHong is an acclaimed Korean painter whose artistic practice and philosophy are informed by the holistic understanding of nature in Buddhism. In contrast to the western tradition that views the environment as an object of  conquest, exploitation, and development, Geum sees the natural world as a greater whole to which all living and nonliving entities belong. He gives expression to this oneness in his art by interrogating boundaries, whether formal, conceptual, and existential. In his current ongoing series, “Holistic Expression Landscapes: The Song of My Life,” Geum explores this notion of holistic or boundless art by experimenting with perspectives in landscape paintings. By flattening the linear perspective dictated by Euclidean geometry, he dissolves the integrity of the picture plane and integrates the viewer into his landscape of oneness.

Geum lives and works in Guri, South Korea. He received his BFA and MFA from Hong-ik University. He has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Korea and abroad. His works are in both public and private collections, including those of the National Art Bank of the Republic of Korea, Kangwon National University Hospital, Uiduk University, and BTS member Jin.

Gwak YounJoo creates cheerfully colorful and whimsical paintings of butterflies and flowers which she sees as symbols of resilience. In depicting a delicate kaleidoscope of butterflies fluttering above a richly-textured bouquet of flowers, Gwak draws parallels between the butterfly’s capacity to persevere and transform itself to that of our own. 

Gwak YounJoo lives and works in Seoul, South Korea and has received her BFA and MFA from HongIk University.

JUNG YoungMo creates brightly colored and richly textured paintings that capture the whimsy of childhood nostalgia. A central theme of Jung’s art is the Korean notion of 고향 (“kohyang”); often inadequately translated as “hometown” or “homeland,” kohyang refers to one’s home or a place of origin imbued with an intense sense of longing and belonging.

JUNG received his BFA from ChuAng University and has participated in over 50 solo exhibitions and 400 group exhibitions in Korea and abroad. 

Lee JongSong is a contemporary Korean artist who draws from the millennia long history of clay wall painting in East Asia to create breathtakingly vibrant landscapes that capture the transcendent grandeur of nature. Lee’s art is distinguished in his sui generis modern reinterpretation of traditional wall paintings. Lee first constructs a “clay base” for his paintings by meticulously applying layers of clay plaster made from his own personal formula informed by two decades of research into ancient mural techniques; he then paints hauntingly evocative landscapes using natural mineral, earth, and organic pigments. This painstaking process lends to each work an organic texture and resonance that allows Lee to vividly render the true essence of a pristine terrain pulsating with life and movement.

Lee JongSong lives and works in Seoul. He received his BFA and MFA from Seoul National University. He has presented in forty solo exhibitions in Asia, Europe, and North America and has participated in hundreds of group exhibitions and art fairs throughout the world. His works are found in numerous public and private collections, including Korea’s National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, National Museum of Korea, Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art, Park Soo Keun Museum, and the Korean Embassy in Canada.

Robert S. Lee is a Los Angeles based artist who creates vibrant, small-scale paintings that capture the exuberant yet ephemeral beauty of nature. Lee’s works are distinguished in their dynamic use of impasto reminiscent of the post-impressionists. His fluid yet measured brushwork evokes the subtle sense of motion of a lush field of wildflowers swaying in the gentle breeze.  Lee views flowers as a metaphor for the human condition; by painting expressive landscapes overflowing with flora, he seeks to remind the viewer of both the beauty and transience of life. 

Robert S. Lee received his BA in Studio Art from the University of California, San Diego and his MFA from the California State University, Los Angeles. His works have been shown at numerous galleries and institutions in the United States and abroad, including the Louvre Museum, C-Art Museum in Korea, the Korean Cultural Center of Los Angeles, and the Angel Orensanz Foundation in New York.

Michelle Oh is a Korean-born Los Angeles-based artist whose mesmerizingly kaleidoscopic works challenge the boundaries of acrylic painting as a medium. Oh creates her unique polychromatic and tactile works through a process known as paint carving; after first meticulously applying layers upon layers of acrylic onto the canvas, she then carves intricate patterns and designs onto the painted surface, exposing the variegated stratigraphy underneath. In Oh's art, the materials of painting are worked and transformed by the methods of sculpture and printmaking, thereby blurring the traditional lines of demarcation between painting and sculpture.

Michelle Oh received her BFA from Hong-Ik University. She has participated at numerous solo and group exhibitions in the United States and abroad. She currently lives and works in Los Angeles and is an active member of the Korean Artists Association of Southern California.

Seo SooYoung is a research-based artist whose works are informed by Korea’s past artistic traditions and techniques. Seo can be identified as belong to Sindongyanghwa, or New Orientalism, a twenty-first century Korean art movement that seeks to reimagine and reinterpret East Asian art within a more modern and global context. What distinguishes Seo within the movement is her research-based practice. Having completed her PhD in historical materials and techniques, Seo makes her own mulberry paper, mineral paints, and glue according to traditional methods and utilizes them in unconventional and innovative ways in order to create striking artworks that explore the intersection between heritage and modernity.

Seo received her BFA, MFA, and PhD from Dongduk Women’s University and has previously taught as an adjunct professor in the Department of Painting at Dongduk. She has numerous solo and group exhibitions in both Korea and abroad, including at the Hanbyeokwon Museum of Art, Youngeun Art Museum, and Galerie Visconti in Paris. Her works can be found in private and public collections in Korea, including at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Youngeun Art Museum, and the Hankuk Art Museum. She has also published three books.