Young-Il Ahn was a Korean American artist known for his abstract paintings, which reference the Pacific Ocean and the light of California. He received critical acclaim late in his life with a survey show at LACMA titled Unexpected Light: Works by Young Il Ahn (2017–18).
Read MoreBorn in Gaeseong, Korea, Ahn moved to Los Angeles in 1966, where he lived and worked for over five decades until his death. As a young boy, Ahn moved with his family to Horikiri, northeast of Tokyo. In 1943, the Ahn family left Japan and returned to Korea when his father, artist Seung-gak Ahn, accepted a position as an art instructor at Cheongju Teachers College.
Recognised as a child prodigy in Korea, Ahn received his BFA from Seoul National University in 1958. After relocating to the United States, he developed a distinct style characterised by meticulously crafted abstract monochromes that explored themes of beauty, nature, music, and grief.
During the five-plus decades Ahn lived in Los Angeles, he created numerous series—with titles such as 'Birds', 'Umbrella', 'Musicians', 'At the Beach', 'California', and 'Sunset'—which consistently reflect his local surroundings and his passions. The light and atmosphere of California played a prominent role in his artwork, as did music. He played the piano, clarinet, and cello and always had classical music playing when he painted, which was every day.
Ahn's painting process was meticulous and labor-intensive. He worked primarily with acrylic on large canvases and cradled wood panels, using various tools including brushes, fingers, popsicle sticks, and spatulas. His paintings are characterised by intricate, colorful patterns created through the application of countless small squares of paint. These squares, applied in impasto with a palette knife, create a shimmering effect that mimics the play of light on water. The result is a vibrant, textured surface that seems to pulse with energy, despite its often minimal appearance.
Ahn is best known for his 'Water' series (1983–2020), inspired by a near-death experience on the Pacific Ocean in 1983. These large-scale canvases feature intricate, colorful patterns that capture the interplay of light and water.
An avid fisherman, Ahn's painting practice was forever changed when, in 1983, a motorboat he was operating became engulfed by fog off the Santa Monica coast. Unable to get his bearings, and adrift on the sea, he cut the boat's engine and simply drifted on the Pacific Ocean, letting the currents simply carry him, with no sense of direction. When the fog cleared, Ahn's experience of sunlight rippling on the waves was an epiphany: "I became profoundly aware of the surface of the sea being reborn in each and every moment. What I witnessed was engraved deep in my heart. From that day on, the sea lived inside me, and I became part of the sea." This series marked a shift from earlier semi-abstract works to complete abstraction, defining his style for the remainder of his career. Works from the 'Water' series, his last series, were included in the 2017-2018 survey show presented by LACMA, its first solo show dedicated to a Korean American artist[.][0]
In 2013, Ahn suffered a stroke, which impacted his approach to artmaking. Despite this setback, he continued to paint daily, adapting his technique to accommodate his physical limitations. His later works, while still maintaining the essence of his style, show a subtle shift in technique and expression.
Prior to his LACMA show, Ahn's work was included in the 2015 show Dansaekhwa II: The Traces of Four Artists at the LA Art Show presented by Gallery Sesom. This show sought to contextualise Ahn's work within the Korean Dansaekhwa movement, suggesting an interesting interplay between this art historical grouping of artists and Ahn's unique American perspective.
Other notable series include:
What inspired Young-Il Ahn's most famous series?
Ahn's 'Water' series was inspired by a 1983 incident where he was temporarily lost at sea in dense fog off the coast of Santa Monica.
How does Young-Il Ahn's work relate to the Dansaekhwa movement?
While Ahn developed his methods independently, his repetitive techniques and abstract style share similarities with Dansaekhwa artists, leading to his inclusion in Dansaekhwa exhibitions. However, as a Korean-born painter who lived and worked in the US, Ahn was unique among Dansaekhwa artists.
What materials did Young-Il Ahn's use in his paintings?
Ahn worked primarily with acrylic on large canvases and cradled wood panels, using various tools including brushes, fingers, popsicle sticks, and spatulas.
How did Young-Il Ahn's background influence his art?
Ahn's early artistic training in Korea, combined with his experiences in America, shaped his unique perspective that blended Eastern and Western artistic traditions. His work bridged Korean Dansaekhwa movement techniques with his unique American perspective, contributing to the diversity of Korean-American art in Los Angeles
Ocula | 2025
