SUPERSONIC ART: Joung Young-Ju.
Extraordinary landscape paintings from Korean artist Joung Young-Ju.
Young-Ju produces one-of-a-kind cityscape paintings which are deeply influenced by her homeland. Her artwork, often bathed in the gentle light of dusk, portrays extensive urban landscapes filled with hints of life suggested by the twinkle of distant lights. Young-Ju’s childhood was spent sketching the structures of her village, a practice that carried into her adult life after earning a Fine Art degree in Paris. The inspiration for her paintings is drawn from her experiences, like her view of Seoul’s city center from Nam Mountain, and also serves as a metaphor for Korean society, depicting the contrasting realities of affluence and poverty.
Young-Ju employs a unique technique by crumpling and unfolding traditional Korean paper as her canvas. Through this process, she creates a feeling of lived-in authenticity, enhancing the impression of a life that’s both well-worn and comforting. Her paintings stand as genuine portrayals of structural elements like exposed bricks, slate rooftops, and rusted gates, effectively mirroring the lives of the humble people who inhabit these spaces. They capture a brief moment of serene beauty just before nightfall, immersing the viewer in the routines of a city teetering between day and night. Each shimmering light in her artwork signifies a life, a tender beacon in the bustling cityscape.
