Gallery KKI, in collaboration with Art Shiji, is currently hosting the "Return of the Wind" exhibition at its Yongsan location in Seoul. This solo exhibition showcases the works of Shi Ji Byun (1926-2013), a renowned Korean contemporary artist, in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of his passing. Over 30 of his precious works are on display until May 20th.
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The exhibition primarily features Byun's works from his period of activity in Jeju Island (1975-2013), focusing on the significant change in his artistic style that began in 1978 and continued until his passing. Byun is well-known for his depiction of Jeju's landscape and emotions with bold black lines on a rough, earthy color palette, which he calls "Pungjeonghwa," meaning a painting of wind and landscape. He skillfully portrays the image of an island surrounded by the sea by placing the sea at the top and the coastline at the bottom of the canvas.
In the late 1980s, Byun started dividing the space with a contrast between dark tones at the top and bright tones at the bottom of the canvas, creating a distinct difference from his earlier Jeju landscape paintings. His works such as "Nanmu" (1997) and "The Road Ahead" (2006), which capture the vivid light of Jeju amidst the strong wind, gained international attention when they were exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution's Korean Gallery in the United States from 2006 to 2016, making him the first living Asian artist to have his works exhibited at the Smithsonian.
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