Visual Arts Centre

Two Artist Exhibition ‘Put a color to Korean Traditional Material’

Two Artist Exhibition ‘Put a color to Korean Traditional Material’

Synopsis

Two Artist Exhibition ‘Put a color to Korean Traditional Material’ A two-person exhibition of lacquer artist Park Myung Hee and Singapore-based photographer Kim Myung-wan will be held from October 20th to 22nd at the Singapore Visual Art Centre. In addition to the common ground of being from Busan, the fact that they engage in creative activities using Korean traditional materials such as lacquer and hanji in different genres of painting and photography brought them together.

Park Myung Hee, the first Korean artist to enter the European market with lacquer art

Lacquer is a natural paint obtained from nature, and lacquered furniture and daily necessities do not deteriorate due to temperature and humidity and boast beautiful colors and profound and rich luster for a long time. Artist Myunghee Park, who majored in lacquerware and received a master’s degree in fine arts at university, said that she entered the path of an lacquer artist because she was fascinated by the unique texture that cannot be expressed with any other material, and its beautiful colors and sparkles.

<Inner Universe>

This is because they have to go through the arduous process of lacquer, dry, sandpaper, paint again, and dry. Apply a mixture of clay powder and lacquer to the lacquered surface, insert mother of-pearl or egg shells, paint again, and then sanding, sanding, sanding… which smooths and polishes the surface, is the most arduous task in lacquer. You can get the beautiful lacquer work you want by sanding hundreds or thousands of times from coarse sandpaper to soft sandpaper.

<Blessing – Bliss>

For Park, lacquer is the process of finding answers starting from questions about the existence of ‘Who am I?’ ‘What is all this unfolding before my eyes?’ The inner world of the unknown unfolds infinitely on the lacquer panel. In the representative work <Inner Universe>, which received great acclaim from European audiences, the stars of peace and happiness are like flowers in the vast universe that unfolded in the artist’s inner world through meditation. The <Blessing – Bliss> series, which was also well received, expresses the state of deep happiness filled with a calm sense of fullness in the deep inner space with lacquer and mother-of-pearl. It has a dreamy feel along with an oriental classic feeling. They are works that evoke strange emotions with a mysterious feeling.

As an lacquer artist, Park is active not only in Korea but also abroad. Starting with a two-person exhibition with a French student in 2012, An lacquer exhibition in London, England in 2014, an invitational exhibition at the Korean Cultural Center in New Delhi, India in 2015, and Luxembourg Gallery in 2019. The invitational exhibition ‘Park Myung Hee Lacquer Art’ was exhibited in 13 countries, including France, Uzbekistan, the United States, China, and Dubai. Thanks to his steady international activities, he participated in an international art fair held in Basel, Switzerland, and received great reviews there. As the interest of foreign writers has increased, he has been steadily training overseas disciples. Currently, he is immersed in creation at Myung Hee Park’s lacquer studio in Gijang, Busan, and is active in Europe through an agency in Luxembourg. There are an increasing number of art collectors in Japan and other countries around the world.

<Seeds of Life>

For Park, lacquer is the process of finding answers starting from questions about the existence of ‘Who am I?’ ‘What is all this unfolding before my eyes?’ The inner world of the unknown unfolds infinitely on the lacquer panel. In the representative work <Inner Universe>, which received great acclaim from European audiences, the stars of peace and happiness are like flowers in the vast universe that unfolded in the artist’s inner world through meditation. The <Blessing – Bliss> series, which was also well received, expresses the state of deep happiness filled with a calm sense of fullness in the deep inner space with lacquer and mother-of-pearl. It has a dreamy feel along with an oriental classic feeling. They are works that evoke strange emotions with a mysterious feeling.

As an lacquer artist, Park is active not only in Korea but also abroad. Starting with a two-person exhibition with a French student in 2012, An lacquer exhibition in London, England in 2014, an invitational exhibition at the Korean Cultural Center in New Delhi, India in 2015, and Luxembourg Gallery in 2019. The invitational exhibition ‘Park Myung Hee Lacquer Art’ was exhibited in 13 countries, including France, Uzbekistan, the United States, China, and Dubai. Thanks to his steady international activities, he participated in an international art fair held in Basel, Switzerland, and received great reviews there. As the interest of foreign writers has increased, he has been steadily training overseas disciples. Currently, he is immersed in creation at Myung Hee Park’s lacquer studio in Gijang, Busan, and is active in Europe through an agency in Luxembourg. There are an increasing number of art collectors in Japan and other countries around the world.

Landscape photographer Kim Myoung Wan, painted on traditional Korean paper

The photographic works presented by Myoung Wan Kim in this exhibition use Korean traditional paper, Hanji, as photo paper. Hanji, which is made from the bark of a mulberry tree, is durable enough to last for a thousand years and has a unique texture and beauty. In particular, Hanji is an excellent material for capturing the deep colors of nature.

<Ocean 2>

In this exhibition, what does the Singapore landscape that artist Myoung Wan Kim show on Korean paper look like? The symbolic landmark Marina Bay Sands and the unspoilt nature and seascape hidden beyond the forest of splendid skyscrapers in the city center were held in an exhibition with pictures taken. is a source of inspiration for <Ocean>, a representative work of Singapore’s sea, is a work in which two birds perched on a branch by the shore of Sungei Buloh, a wetland conservation area in Singapore, were photographed with patience over a long period of time. It permeates the natural texture of the original and blends exquisitely as if it were one. In a number of works depicting the landscape of Singapore, Kim expresses his unique lyrical sensibility, sometimes pictorially and sometimes poetically, through a cold camera.

<Upper Peirce Reservoir Park>

Photographer Myoung Wan Kim said that the day he first grabbed the camera his father bought for him when he entered high school, he was fascinated by the sound of the camera shutter and started photography. I built up my skills. He submitted his works to numerous contests and won prizes, and has been with photography for 30 years, including the recent publication of three photo books.

Kim is currently working as a sales manager in Asia for an American company based in Singapore. In his spare time, he also practices talent sharing for Koreans in the local community. Free photography classes for local Koreans, event photography volunteers, and leading a photography club are spreading the joy of photography to many people.
While the Korean Wave craze is heating up around the world, it seems that the Korean Wave has already settled deep in daily life in Singapore. In this heat, the exhibition of Korean artists working creatively with Korean traditional materials, Hanji and lacquer, aims to publicize the beauty of Korean tradition in Singapore.

<Seletar Rocket Tower Sunset>

Event Details

FREE Public admission
Date & Time: Fri, 20 Oct 2023 – Sun, 22 Oct 2023, 11pm to 8pm

20 Oct 2023, 1am to 8pm (Opening Ceremony)

Venue: Visual Arts Centre Dhoby Ghaut Exhibition Gallery 

Event Details

FREE Public admission

Date & Time: Fri, 20 Oct 2023 – Sun, 22 Oct 2023, 11am to 8pm

20 Oct 2023, 6pm (Opening Ceremony)

Venue: Visual Arts Centre Dhoby Ghaut Exhibition Gallery 

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