Including Renowned Painter YOON Byung-Rock's Hyper-Realistic Apple Paintings

LEE HWAIK GALLERY's booth at ART BUSAN 2023 has garnered high praise from visitors for its display of works by 10 promising Korean artists, including the renowned painter YOON Byung-Rock. YOON is famous for his hyper-realistic paintings of apples on various themes, and his striking appearance has also drawn attention.

YOON Byung-Rock, born in 1968 in Yeongcheon, is already well-known among Korean art collectors for his hyper-realistic depictions of fresh apples and his unconventional canvas shapes that deviate from the standard square frame. He modifies even the existing canvas shape to provide a fresh, striking effect. YOON graduated from the Department of Western Painting and its graduate school at Kyungpook National University. He held more than 20 solo exhibitions, starting with an invitational exhibition by an artist selected by the Gogeum Art Research Society. 

▲ YOON Byung-Rock (b.1968), Autumn Fragrance, 120.4x119.3cm, Oil on Korean paper, 2022, Courtesy of LEE HWAIK GALLERY.

KIM Mee-young, born in 1984, graduated from the Department of Oriental Painting at Ewha Womans University and the same graduate school. She completed her graduate studies in painting at the Royal College of Art in London, UK. KIM also participated in residencies and exhibitions in several countries, such as Paris, London, Iceland, and Finland. KIM expresses her unique abstract style by filling the entire canvas through a process of drawing, spreading, covering, and letting the paint flow while it is still wet. 

▲ KIM Mee-young (b.1984),Pink and Brown, 130.3x162.2cm, Oil on canvas, 2022, Courtesy of LEE HWAIK GALLERY

KIM Hye-Gyun, born in 1978, graduated from the Department of Printmaking and Graduate School of Hongik University. The subject of KIM's artwork is storage, and the artist typically presents objects in the form of multi-layered shelves that represent the layered experiences of the artist's life and memories. KIM captures the images of every aspect of life, beyond the ordinary, and the stories of hidden places, depicting them on canvas. The artist's work portrays the nooks and crannies of everyday life that often go unnoticed.
 

▲ KIM Hye-Gyun(b.1978), storage story, 72x60cm, Acrylic, color pencil on canvas, 2020,Courtesy of LEE HWAIK GALLERY.

PARK Ki-Ill, born in 1981, graduated from the Department of Media Arts at Kaywon College of Art and Design and the Department of Painting at Kookmin University. PARK reconstructs fragments of his childhood experiences on canvas, creating realistic paintings that do not exist in reality. These works depict imaginary situations based on reality, telling stories in a unique and captivating way. 

▲ PARK Ki-Ill(b.1981)Pongpong(37°31'37.4"N 126°47'17.5"E), 145x112cm, Acrylic on canvas, 2023, Courtesy of LEE HWAIK GALLERY.

AHN Doo-Jin, born in 1975, graduated from Hongik University Department of Painting and Graduate School. AHN's paintings are based on his own hypothesis called "Imaquark," which is a compound word of "Ima-" from image and "Quark," referring to complex elementary particles, representing the smallest unit of an image. Using these minimum units, AHN transforms the microscopic world of nature into abstract paintings, creating another nature for the audience to experience. 

▲ AHN Doo-Jin(b.1975), thump!, 112x160cm, Acrylic and oil on canvas, 2022, Courtesy of LEE HWAIK GALLERY.

LEE Jung-Eun, born in 1971, graduated from the Department of Oriental Painting and Graduate School of Seoul National University. She has participated in a total of 9 solo exhibitions and 70 group exhibitions, showcasing her ability to calmly and plainly capture the trivial aspects of daily life and the emotional changes felt within them on canvas. LEE's works depict the objects and pets she always accompanies herself with, as well as various items she finds interesting, and the plants in her studio.

 

▲ LEE Jung-Eun (b.1971), Manchun (晩春), 130x97cm, color on jangji, 2022, Courtesy of LEE HWAIK GALLERY.On the other hand, YI Hwan-Kwon, born in 1974, graduated from Kyungwon University Department of Environmental Sculpture and Graduate School, and has held over 20 solo exhibitions. YI is famous for his exploration of various issues of his formative elements and for revealing his antinomic feelings of unfamiliarity and attraction in his work. He recreates images that have been freely transformed through Photoshop into sculptures, creating the impression of being led into a space of reality ruled by the law of gravity. Additionally, He has won numerous awards, including the 2017 Kim Se-joong Youth Sculpture Award.▲ YI Hwan-Kwon(b.1974), South Korean Designated Driver, h66.7xw32.8xd7.5cm, F.R.P Acrylic Hand Painted, Courtesy of LEE HWAIK GALLERY.

CHA Young-Seok, born in 1976, graduated from the Department of Plastic Arts, Art History, and Art Specialization at Hanye School of Art. CHA observes the world through the collections of others, selecting and filling the surface with detailed patterns. He believes that the collections revealed in his works represent not only personal desires, but also aspects of the times and society that influence him.  

▲ CHA Young-Seok (b.1976), POTD(Painting Of The Day)_03, 87x71cm, Pencil, acrylic gouache and coffee on Koreanmulberry paper, 2023, Courtesy of LEE HWAIK GALLERY.

Ha Ji-Hoon, born in1978, graduated from the Department of Western Painting at Yeungnam University and completed the Meister Schuller course at Kunst Academy Münster in Germany. Ha's paintings are a type of landscape, but they consist of traces of brushstrokes and paints, as well as figuration and abstraction. Rather than using traditional brushstrokes, he employs various tools including his hands and sticks. He expresses heterogeneous situations and sensations on the canvas in an unfamiliar way.  

▲ HA Ji-Hoon(b.1978), isle (mediterranean structure#1), 116.7x90.9cm, Acrylic, oil on canvas, 2023, Courtesy of LEE HWAIK GALLERY.

HUH Dal-Jae, born in1952, is the grandson of Heo Baek-ryeon. Since the age of five, he has been visiting Chunseolheon (春雪軒), a studio surrounded by Mt., with his grandfather. A crucial subject of literati painting is the Four Gracious Plants or Maenangukjuk (梅蘭菊⽵), with a particular interest in plum blossoms. This is because the plum trees planted around his grandfather's studio during his childhood held a special place in his heart. Therefore, the plum blossoms in his works, alive and breathing, fascinate the audience.
 

▲ HUH Dal-Jae (b.1952), White plum White Plum Blossoms, 69x78cm, Korean paper Ink painting, Gold teeth, 2022, Courtesy of LEE HWAIK GALLERY.Meanwhile, The Lee Hwaik Gallery, originally located in Insa-dong, Seoul, expanded its exhibition space and relocated to Songhyeon-dong in 2005. Since then, it has become a significant player in the art world, promoting exhibitions featuring established contemporary Korean artists and supporting young artists with exceptional creativity and ability.

Sayart.net
Maria Kim sayart2022@gmail.com