Celebrating it's 14
th anniversary this year, PKM Gallery is preparing a new space for its inauguration in the historically rich cultural quarters of Samcheong-dong, where the traditional and the modern coexist in beautiful harmony. the new space, comprised of two ground-levels and two underground floors, occupies a lot area of 576.5 m
2 and a total floor area of 721.54m
2, bringing the total exhibit space to approximately 250 m
2 with a remarkably high ceiling of 5.5 m
2. PKM Gallery will turn over a new leaf beginning with the solo exhibition of Yun Hyong-keun, the master of
Dansaekhwa (Korean monochrome painting), and plans to lead the paradigm in contemporary art wit more expansive and experimental exhibitions in the future.
This exhibition, organized especially for the grand opening of PKM Gallery, will be the artist's firts solo exhibition in Korea after his passing in 2007. It will present a rigorous selection of 15 paintings dating from the early 1970s up to 1990, the period during which the artist defined his artistic style, and will provide an in-depth look into his inner world.
Yun is a leading figure of
Dansaekhwa movement in the 70's - 80's, the movement considered one of contemporary Korean art's finest achievements which is now receiving renewed attention from the global art world. Yun's paintings with profound resonance are inspired by the Korean traditional ink wash paintings. This becomes the basis for the unique quality of elegance in his work. The consistent ultramarine blue and burnt umber tones of his paintings find their origins in the 70's; a few non-chalant brushstrokes of diluted oil paint onto the canvas let the pigment seep into and bleed through the surface, completing the artist's signature style.
Among the main artists of
Dansaekhwa, Yun particularly stands out with his firm aesthetic and theoretical foundations in Korean traditional art and thus establishes his artistic identity. This is confirmed by the artist' own ante mortem affirmations of receiving inspiration from the 18
th century Korean calligrapher Kim Jeong-hui (pen name: Chusa). The idyllic beauty flowing within the ink's suggestive pleasantries and unadorned brushstrokes shows a prefect balance of poetry and painting straying from bright colors and shapes in order to bring out the meditative contemplation and the free-spirited emotions inherent in literati paintings.
With its connection to tradition, Yun's canvas simply and gracefully intertwines individuality and contemporary relevance, never losing the sense of the redefined modern sophistication, and extends its influence across borders and into the rest of the world.
Yun Hyong-keun majored in Western Art at Hongik University and held solo exhibitions and the Donald judd Foundation, Art Sonje Center in Gyeongju, and the Strasbourg Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. He also participated in group exhibitions held at the Korean pavilion of the 46
th Venice Biennale in 1995, The Chinati Foundation in Marfa, the Tate Gallery, and the Tokyo Central Art Museum. His works are included in the collections of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul, Leeum, the Samsung Museum of Art, The Chinati Foundation in Marfa, and the M+ Museum in Hong Kong.
In conjunction with the inaugural exhibition, a first all-English monograph of Yun's paintings will be published, featuring the artist's 40-year career comprising his earliest to latest works.
-
Image courtesy of Yun Seong-ryeol and PKM Gallery
Press release courtesy PKM Gallery.