Sayart.net - Poisson flying in the sky, painter Yongdae CHOI

Sayart.net
Jason Yim yimjongho1969@gmail.com

“I married a painter, not a merchant.” These are the words of the painter Yongdae CHOI's wife. He once wanted to quit being a painter and open a food stall to help livelihood. But His wife's firm advice made him reproach himself for forgetting his duty for a moment.

Produced by Maria Kim

“When I was young, poverty was my daily life. In the middle of winter, I drew a picture while melting my hands in my breath. I used to go to sleep around the time the garbage truck passed in the early morning. Beer was a luxury to me back then. On rainy days, I ran into a bar on the street and drank a glass of Soju to relieve my frustration.

▲ 50x120cm, Acrylic on Canvas, 2022 Artist : Yongdae CHOI, Courtesy of Choi

On the 15th, SayArt visited his studio. CHOI was proud of his studio, as if it were no worse than the Palace of Versailles. Because He can run to the studio next to his house at any time and immerse himself in his work. For him, this is the space where his dreams come true.

He headed to France in 1993 to pursue his art studies at a later age. He returned to Korea in 1998 after struggling with homesickness and studying art for several years. In 2004, he set up a site in Yangpyeong, where his current studio is located, and built his own castle by designing it himself.

▲ Yongdae CHOI Forest series installation, Courtesy of CHOI

SayArt asked why he became an artist. He said that he started painting with the feeling of catching straw. He was a painter even before he studied abroad. He was active in Gyeongju, the capital of Silla, an ancient Korean nation, and he recalled that his studio was so sloppy that he felt like a snake or frog would pop out at any moment and At night, he jumped up on top of the ‘Sangneung’, the royal tomb of Shilla, and, drunk with starlight, sang songs like ‘Mom, Sister(엄마야 누나야)’, a Korean children’s song, to soothe himself. But even though he was poor, he remembered that moment as the most luxurious moment.

▲ Choi's Studio, Courtesy of CHOI

His work tendencies usually change every five years. During that period, he has a theme, but works on the subject of a series of works with various modulations. “I think of new works as I work. I start a new work when such an idea rises and overflows in me.” He said.

He is not a prolific painter. However, the reason he continues to produce a series of works is because of his habit of conceiving works for a long time. He has been working on a series of works on the same subject for 10 years. It is his ‘Forest Series’.

▲ Painter Yongdae CHOI photo by Maria Kim

His artistic soul originated from his older brother who left the world early in his childhood. The sudden death of his older brother, who was good at painting and playing the guitar, was beyond shock to him as a child and awakened his essential art spirit to approach the essence of life.

Before studying in France, he held his first solo exhibition. On the third day of the exhibition, he was shocked. This is because he realized that there were too many colors and expressions overflowing in his works. He was then able to see his work objectively for the first time. This is why he focused on the process of removing colors when he was studying in France. “I think winter trees are philosophically closer to the essence. I think too much expression can harm the essence.”

▲ Inner language 2022 Acrylic on Canvas, 116.8x80Cm, Courtesy of CHOI

“The main character in the novel ‘Arc de Triomphe’ is a foreigner. I thought it resembled me alone in France.” This kind of thinking made him add oriental elements in his own works. It is for this reason that the lower part of his work is filled with blank (white) space.

The theme of his work, which he started after returning to his homeland, was “nature and environment”. “When I was studying abroad, I saw a big tree that fell in a typhoon when I passed the Palace of Versailles. Bandages were wrapped around the tree. It was talking about healing. At that time, I realized that there are many nature and objects that need to be healed due to human involvement.”

▲ Inner language 2022, Courtesy of CHOI

His works, which he started for this reason, are the ‘Forest’ series. “I took a minimalistic approach to this series at first. Later, I expressed the subject in an installation art, after which I continued the forest series with black and gray paintings,” he explained.

He also explained his art theory. “The artist's responsibility or activity is to find or create something new. However, in contemporary art, I believe that the current pictorial techniques and concepts were all completed around the 1960s. Because of this, I think artists should understand that creating something new, that is an activity that interprets something new. To that end, I believe that artists try to change their work with their own unique color. That's why I think that his own works that have already been made are the greatest teachers to artists.” He said.

▲ Inner language 2022, Acrylic & Pigment on Canvas, 130x130cm Artist : Yongdae CHOI, Courtesy of CHOI

“Recently, AI-related discussions are active. But I don't think AI has the ability to invade the arts. The most important value of a work of art is that it moves the audience. It is not an area that AI can create.”

In his studio, there are many traces of his passionate activities. A book of poetry and pictures (꽃인 듯 눈물인 듯) made with Korea's most famous poet, Kim Chun-Soo, was on display. This work became the posthumous work of poet Kim Chun-Soo.

▲ Painter Yongdae CHOI photo by Maria Kim

On the wall of the 2nd floor of his studio, his painting was hung. Poisson, he explained, means fish in French. Perhaps Poisson in his work can feel like a self-portrait of him who dreamed of flying in the past.

However, now he is leading a busy life as a famous painter sought by many galleries at home and abroad. As it were, His Poisson has already spread its wings and is flying in the sky.