Seoul-Based Foreign Artists Exhibit
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
Korea's art scene is never lacking in foreign artists' exhibitions, but most of these foreign artists usually just visit, attend their splashy opening receptions and leave after a few days. Often overlooked are the Korea-based foreign artists, who have made Korea their second home and painstakingly work on their art.
This week, a handful of these foreign artists are showing off their artworks in two separate exhibitions that would hopefully focus more attention on Korea-based foreign artists.
``Foreigners? Aliens?" an exhibition at Shinhan Gallery, downtown Seoul, explores the unique perspective of foreign artists who are living in Korea. The works of Korea-based artists Aaron Knochel, Ren Lee and Ron Saunders will be on display during the exhibition, which runs through May 14.
Curator Mary Song said the exhibition suggests the need to dispel the dichotomy between Koreans and foreigners. ``I hope everyone can think of each person as a precious individual, not as an alien. And finally all of us can say 'foreigners are the same as us (Koreans), everyone has similar thoughts, the same worries, and the same hearts,''' she said.
Knochel, who teaches art design and web design at Seoul International School, deals with the problem of foreigners who have lived abroad for long periods of time. His works take inspiration from Korean cartoons and traditional Asian patterns.
In an interview with The Korea Times, Knochel said he used the American flag as a way to show his critical views on his own culture. After four years of living in Korea, Knochel is now in the process of relocating back to the United States, but he admits he sees his home country as a strange place.
``Dealing with the relocation process, getting back to American culture, I look at central symbols such as imperialism and patriotism. It talks about difference of going back as an American who has lived abroad," he said.
Lee, who was born in the United States, thinks of the world as a collage. This is reflected in her art about cities, showing her experiences in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and Seoul.
Saunders, who has already held several exhibits in the country, shows experimental, installation art works combining language and art.
``Foreigners? Aliens?" Exhibition is held at the Shinhan Gallery, near Exit 6 of Gwanghwamun Station on subway line 5.
On the other hand, the group exhibition ``treeSong and Other Hymns" shows Oriental-art inspired works with the common theme of nature. The works of Filipino artist Loreta Medina, Canadian artist Sharman Horwood and Korean artist Yeon Heung-sook are featured through May 8 at the Gwang Hwa Rang (gallery) at the Gwanghwamun underpass in Jongno, downtown Seoul.
Medina, a Filipino writer-turned-artist based in Seoul, takes photographs of tree barks and paints various figures on it. When you take a long look at her work, the images slowly surface. She calls her tree bark art as ``handcrafted photo-paintings."
``I take photographs of the tree bark of the sycamore tree. Then depending on what I see on the photograph, I paint in flowers, faces, tapestries, Korean masks, hanbok (Korean traditional costume) as well as biblical figures. In this show, I also show plain tree bark photographs that I don't paint on. The photographs show the tree bark with lines, forms, textures which I find fascinating," Medina told The Korea Times.
Horwood, a Canadian who teaches English at Yonsei University, is showing paintings of animals such as manatees, sparrows, and wolves in their natural habitat. These images of wildlife remind her of her home in Canada.
Yeon, a development worker, does Oriental paintings of flowers, fishes and plants.
``Our common theme is trees. All our works are somehow connected with the issue of nature and the environment," Medina said.