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CHOI YOUNG WOOK
최영욱
b.1964, Seoul, Korea. Lives and works in Paju, Korea
Choi Young Wook is widely known for his painting series Karma, where he has devoted fifteen years to capture the beauty of a traditional Korean vessel: moon jar.
After more than two decades, Choi’s preferred format — a moon jar placed at eye level against a clouded backdrop — has blurred the line between routine and rite. White porcelain moon jars have been the focus of his introspection and the medium for painting the "images of his recollections" following a fortuitous encounter brought on by "karma." He uses an object to illustrate his memories and experiences. Buddhism employs the term "karma" to describe the cycle of cause and effect, soul transmigration, and the knowledge that karmic causes and fate have an impact on past, present, and future lives. By portraying life as a journey filled with challenges and highlighting the interdependence of oneself and others, he has given the moon jar a new symbolic meaning.
In his moonjar paintings, paint functions as the foundational clay, the glaze, and the kiln that activates combustion. He approaches the canvas with meticulous care, treating each stroke as delicately as one would handle fragile eggs. Thus, the white Moonjar harmoniously integrates with the white panel, producing the semblance of a moon.
Choi has received his MFA and BFA from Hongik University, Korea. Selected recent solo exhibitions have been held in Seoul at the Hong University Museum of Contemporary Art, Gallery Rho, Lotte123, and Banyan Tree Gallery. His work has also been exhibited internationally at Ono Gallery and A-cube Gallery in Tokyo, Art Issue Project in Taipei City, Lotte Gallery in Busan, and Yegam Gallery in New York. Choi’s work has been featured in group shows at the Dong-A Gallery and JJ Jung Jung Gallery in Seoul, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Beijing, Museum of Contemporary Art in Taipei City, and Gallery HUUE in Singapore. He has participated in art fairs such as Art Miami, LA Art Show, Chicago International Art Fair, Palm Beach Art Fair, Art Toronto, KIAF, and Art Busan. Choi’s work is included in numerous public and private collections including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, National Museum of Contemporary Art in Gwacheon, Korea, Luxembourg Monarchy, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Korean Air, The University of Suwon, and SK Group.
Exhibitions
The Things Between You and Me