Gift:Roosebelt, Acrylic on Canvas, 2011
Kips Gallery is pleased to present Territory, a solo exhibition of Works by Artist Yong Sun Suh. The exhibition will be on view at the Kips Gallery's Location at 511 West 25th Street 2F, between 10th and 11th Avenues.
As an artist, I have always been interested in our history, our story. I have prepared this exhibition in the intention to create a base in expressing my thoughts on the Korean War. We store what we see in the society and in nature within our body as our memory and we communicated it with others. There is a moment this phenomena became a part of my identity.The Korean language I speak has been developed in a specific Asian region. Throughout the long years, as the boundary of the region where the language is used changes, the identity of the folks who speak the language changes. These memories turn into deep experience carved onto me and serve me as a guide to live in this world. They even create ideology or faith.Like pictures or photographs, the stored images in our unconscious become imprinted in our memory and part of our social communication, Even sound or it's memories like other sensory perceptions, are sometime brought back on viewing these specific images.
People, particularly in the west define this event in the history of our Country, as the "Korean War". The Korean War bears a special meaning for me. The Korean War refers to a regional conflict between South Korea and North Korea. However, it also refers to a war directly involving other countries such as the United States, the Soviet Union, and China. The point is that it is so unnatural for the twoKoreas to exist as two separate nations, because their natures are so identical.The memories of those including my parents who remember the War have become a part of mine and my personal experience. It was hard to recreate them in pictures. However, because of my experience and cultural background these past associations are dissociable from my way of living and expressing myself, as an artist.
These paintings represent my latest attempt in trying to give it a tangible life.
Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 12PM to 6PM.
For more information or photographs, please call 212-242-4215 or email infokipsgallery@gmail.com.
