The Galerie nächst St. Stephan Rosemarie Schwarzwälder in Vienna is currently hosting Han, Jongsuk Yoon’s third solo exhibition with the gallery, running from October 24, 2024, through January 8, 2025. This exhibition delves into the layered concept of "han," a term that holds deep cultural and historical significance in Korea, resonating with unity, memory, and the natural landscape. Known for her fusion of Korean and Western art traditions, Yoon uses her work to evoke complex, personal emotions tied to her homeland.
Yoon’s exhibition in Vienna follows her successful large-scale retrospective at The Sehwa Museum of Art in Seoul. Her pieces, often abstract, capture the essence of Korean landscapes, inspired by personal memories and emotions or sometimes based on photographs. Using bold fields of color and dynamic brushstrokes, Yoon constructs dreamlike landscapes, where red, blue, and yellow dominate and earth tones create balance. The occasional black line in her paintings reveals the immediacy of her creative process, capturing the rhythm of her brushstrokes.
Born in South Korea and now residing in Germany, Yoon’s art is a blend of intuition and art historical knowledge, bridging Eastern and Western painting traditions. This synthesis is evident in the exhibition titles, which hint at natural landscapes—such as san (mountain) and gang (river)—connecting viewers to Korea’s natural world. The eight-meter-long April Mai, one of her most ambitious works, presents an expansive panorama of spring, enveloping visitors in a vibrant seasonal tableau.
One standout work, Hangang, symbolizes the unity between North and South Korea. The Han River, which begins in North Korea and flows to the Yellow Sea in South Korea, serves as a symbol of the hope for Korean reunification. Yoon captures this symbolism through flowing white ribbons against red and purple fields, emphasizing a connection that transcends the political divide of her homeland.
Yoon’s painting process is highly instinctive, driven by her emotional response to both personal and cultural histories. Her art encapsulates not only the natural beauty of Korea but also the complex emotions—often described as “han”—that she associates with her country’s past and future. For Yoon, the river, the mountain, and the landscape collectively evoke a sense of longing, resilience, and unity, embodying Korea’s tumultuous history and her own reflections on identity.
An artist with an impressive international career, Yoon has exhibited her work in notable institutions around the world, including the mumok in Vienna, Ulsan Art Museum in Korea, and Kestner Gesellschaft in Germany. Her artistic journey includes education at the University of Fine Arts Münster, the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, and Chelsea College of Art in London. She has been the recipient of several prestigious residencies, most recently in Vienna in 2020.
In Spring 2025, a comprehensive publication of Yoon's works from the past decade will be released, featuring texts by renowned art figures such as Adam Budak and Hans Ulrich Obrist. This publication will delve deeper into her evolving artistic style and offer a glimpse into the inspirations that have shaped her celebrated career.
The Han exhibition is a rare opportunity for art enthusiasts in Vienna to experience Yoon's exploration of unity, memory, and the beauty of Korea’s landscapes. With its abstract landscapes and layered meanings, Han offers a nuanced portrayal of Korea's cultural and political landscape through the eyes of an artist bridging two worlds.
Sayart / Maria Kim, sayart2022@gmail.com
