Young Korean Artists Debut at doART

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia

Staff Reporter

Young and promising artists have been given a chance to participate in the ``Class of 2009'' exhibition at doART Seoul.

Art schools hold graduation exhibitions as a way for new graduates to present their work to the general public. DoART's new exhibition, ``Class of 2009,'' is similar, featuring art works by 15 new art school graduates whose ages range from 23 to 28.

DoART chose the artists from various art schools at Hongik University, Ewha Womans University and Dongguk University through the stringent review and evaluation of their works.

DoArt is hoping that by holding the exhibition at its established gallery, the young artists will attract attention from art collectors, dealers and critics.

``Generally, an artist's graduation work is considered the fundamental building block of his or her career, containing their the purest passion. The sometimes amateurish craftsmanship and feeble theory are what make the work special, being the young artists' first work. `Class of 2009' is the debut stage for gifted artists with a lot of potential. It simultaneously allows them to become actively involved in today's art world,'' doART said in a statement.

Viewers can feel the youthful passion and energy of the work. Each artist offers his or her unique vision of the world, though sometimes lacking refinement. Many use bright splashes of color, while others delve into dark, realistic themes.

Lee Hyun-hee invites the audience to visit a new world filled with sparkling jewels, flowers and other women's items in the painting ``Secret Garden ― Night, Jewelry and Desert.''

In ``Supermarket,'' Gil Yang-suk uses neighborhood grocery as the theme for her work. ``My daily visit to the supermarket is an occasion for me to reminisce. In my childhood, I admired and envied a friend whose family ran a supermarket. I'd linger in front of it, always seeming to be overflowing with appetizing snacks,'' Gil said in an artist statement.