Yoo Hyun

Works

Overview

Yoo Hyun, Studies for Color and Combination

Intricate hand-cut paper artwork by Yoo Hyun

Delicate hand-cut hanji artworkby Yoo Hyun

Untitled, 2024

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Merging Eastern and Western traditions in a striking and innovative way, using Korean materials to create intricate portraits through reduction. With his iconic imagery suspended against bold, calligraphic backgrounds, his work achieves a delicate balance between the meditative and the modern, inviting viewers to explore the intersection of tradition and innovation.

Yoo Hyun is a contemporary artist known for his innovative technique that blends Eastern and Western artistic traditions. Using Korean traditional materials of ink and hanji, he creates portraits through reduction, carefully taking away small pieces of a blank sheet of paper to form iconic imagery. This is then suspended in front of a black splattered background, which is painted in one stroke using an immense calligraphic brush to provide a striking color and material contrast. Yoo Hyun's work balances the meditative and traditional aspects of the background with the representative and modern qualities of his imagery.

Yoo Hyun holds an MFA in Western Painting from the University of Tsukuba, Japan, and a BFA in Korean Painting from Yeungnam University in Korea. He has exhibited his work in Tokyo, Seoul, and Daegu, and his pieces can be found in private and institutional collections in Korea, Japan, and the United States.

Biography

Yoo Hyun's innovative technique, which fuses Korean traditional materials with reductionist portraiture, creates a bridge between Eastern and Western artistic traditions. Using ink and hanji, Korean traditional rice paper, he hand-cuts iconic imagery and floats it against a black splattered background created with a massive calligraphic brush. Through the balance of meditative traditional elements and representative modernity, Yoo Hyun's work blends the past and present to create unique, visually striking portraits.

As Yoo Hyun continues to explore his artistic process, he has landed on a new technique of spraying and dripping liquid onto untreated fabric. These paintings explore spatial concepts and geometric structures encountered in urban landscapes: be it the stark lines of buildings, the rhythmic patterns of road grids, or the intricate interplay of light and shadow upon asphalt cracks,

Yoo Hyun's artistic approach is deeply rooted in his cultural heritage and his ability to blend Eastern and Western traditions makes his work unique and highly acclaimed. His works not only showcase his technical skills but also reveal his deep understanding of the cultural significance of Korean traditional materials.

Yoo Hyun's innovative technique is achieved through a process of reduction, where he creates iconic imagery by taking away small pieces of blank paper. This process allows him to create highly detailed and intricate portraits that capture the essence of his subjects. His work often explores themes of identity and representation, as he combines traditional and contemporary elements to create pieces that are both visually stunning and conceptually complex.

Yoo Hyun's use of hanji, traditional Korean paper made from mulberry bark, adds to the intricate nature of his work. Hanji is known for its strength and durability, and has been used in Korea for centuries. The use of this material in Yoo Hyun's work speaks to his commitment to preserving his cultural heritage and continuing the legacy of Korean art.

As Yoo Hyun continues to explore his artistic process, he has landed on a new technique of spraying and dripping liquid onto untreated fabric. These paintings explore spatial concepts and geometric structures encountered in urban landscapes: be it the stark lines of buildings, the rhythmic patterns of road grids, or the intricate interplay of light and shadow upon asphalt cracks,

Yoo Hyun received his MFA in Western Painting at the University of Tsukuba, Japan, and BFA in Korean Painting from Yeungnam University in Korea. He has held exhibitions in Tokyo, Seoul, and Daegu, and is in private and institutional collections in Korea, Japan, and the United States.

Exhibitions