Dae-Won Yang's Solo Exhibition_curated by Jae Hyun KANG
The paintings presented by Dae-Won Yang in this exhibition express the sorrow endured by the nation, society, and individuals in the past?incidents and emotional scars of war, disparity of wealth, and traumatic personal experiences?as well as the human figure confronting such situations, all rendered by the artists in suggestive forms and colors.
In his earlier work, intensely contrasting primary colors offset Yang’s compositional simplicity and formal symbolism. In order to create the works included in this exhibition, however, the artist deliberately minimized his use of primary colors as much as possible. Both the simple, symbolic and iconic figure featured in many of Yang's works (which he calls 'Dongulin,’ or ‘round man’) and the monotone color palette are metaphors for the human spirit bearing the scars of a dark, tumultuous past and the anxieties of society.
Yang communicates the diversity of potential meanings inherent in the multitude of modern languages by inscribing Korean and Chinese characters on canvas; the wounds inflicted by history he depicts with tears. Using his unique artistic perspective, Yang explores the psychology of individuals today, full worry and doubt about contemporary society. This exhibition enables viewers to consider the broad range of themes and ideas present in Yang’s work in tandem with his distinctive use of formative language?an engaging pairing that is as intriguing as it is evocative, and quite unlike anything else that has come before.
