Preface

Mr. Kyung Youl Yoon, the Korean-American Artist, is very passionate about Abstract Painting. His great efforts and exploration in art has led to his outstanding achievements. When the delegation of our Gallery visited the United States for the Art Exchange Exhibition this year, the director of the Center for Chinese Art at William Paterson University, Professor Cong Zhiyuan, introduced us to Mr. Kyung Youl Yoon. When we met him, we were able to experience his phenomenal artwork. Following this encounter, we invited Professor Cong as the curator, and we selected 50 paintings from Mr. Yoon’s outstanding artworks to be exhibited in Shanghai Liu Haisu Art Museum.

As one of the modern mainstream painting art styles which has greatly changed the world of art, abstract art has influenced the entire art development from the early 20th century to the mid-20th century. There were a number of avant-garde artists that surfaced after Kandinsky and Malevich. They spread out the spirit of modern art, and constantly explored the possibility of different kinds of abstract arts. In particular, the “De Stijl” art movement which originated from the Dutch, and the European “Dadaism” art movement became very popular. During the World War II, there were a large number of European modern artists that moved to America. During this era, they developed the “Abstract Expression,” which was a new genre that focused on abstract form and subjective motive. Abstract Expression was very popular at that time, and became one of the most important art movements. Abstract Expression has made a great impact in the development of abstract art and abstract painting. Today, in this 21st century, art lives in a multi-polarized age, where the society needs projects that awaken the minds, or express historical themes of significance, and yet simultaneously provide tranquility, so that they can relax and escape from the fast-paced developments of cities. Mr. Kyung Youl Yoon’s artworks achieve these ends; they bring peace to people’s minds. “As I am chased by the busy realities of life, I experience things that are hidden under my subconsciousness,” he says. “And I have a moment to look away from the reality. I take a look at natural occurrences and the sky at night. I become lost in that cold silence and peace.” Mr. Yoon’s inner world brings into this noisy world a piece of quietness.

This exhibition displays the best works of Mr. Yoon, a collection of work from 1997 to 2013. It displays his artistic achievements of nearly 20 years. The rich inner world is the inspiration for Mr. Yoon’s creation, which makes his paintings really mystical. These paintings contain Western styles of art, but they also have a touch of Eastern symbols embedded in them. This results in a unique beauty that combines the Eastern and Western worlds of art. His paintings also depict a kind of moderation with ambulatory lines, and comely, beautiful colors, soft and subtle. He uses abstract to inspire people to find beauty and create beauty in their seemingly normal life, which is what we need nowadays in our society. The moon, the mountain, and the trees that he paints are simple and yet attractive. Isn’t that the best part of art?

I would like to give special thanks to Professor Cong Zhiyuan for his contribution to this exhibition, which will make this exchange exhibition very successful. I believe this exhibition will bring a completely different visual experience to the audience and strike a chord with them. We hope that Mr. Kyung Youl Yoon enjoys his trip in China!

I sincerely wish great success for the “Kyung Youl Yoon’s Art Exhibition”.

Zhang Jian
Curator
Shanghai Liu Haisu Art Museum