Hyon Gyon “Phantoms On Parade”
Shin Gallery
This event has ended.
Hyon Gyon Park was born and raised in South Korea and moved to Japan to complete her studies seven years ago. Park received her Ph.D and MA from the Kyoto City University of Arts in Kyoto, Japan and her BFA from Mokwon University in Mokwon, South Korea. It was in Japan that she began the work depicting shamanism, a practice that involves a practitioner reaching altered states of consciousness in order to interact with the spirit world. Having witnessed a shamanistic ceremonial rite for her grandmother Park became fascinated by the way it helped with the grief and helped turn the emotions to something positive so that the family members could move on with their lives. Korean shamans are women who are enlisted by those who want the help of the spirit world. Shamans hold gut, or services, in order to gain good fortune for clients, cure illnesses by exorcising negative or ‘bad’ spirits that cling to people, or to guide the spirit of a deceased person to higher realms. For Park her art is her shamanism and it has a performance side as well as a painting side. The present show is a collection of masks made from sateen cloth that is burned into layer upon layer of vibrant colors which come together to form the image of the mask. The vibrant colors draw you in and create an atmosphere where the ordinary is converted into the extraordinary. Satin and sateen are composite textiles that melt easily and with a soldering iron she repeatedly melts, burns, and layers, so the resulting work is actually more a sculpture than a painting. As a result of this repetitive process, faces gradually appear. She says it’s more accurate to say that they spring out, or arrive. Often horrifying or grotesque masks were used in shamanistic practices for their ability to evoke fear, and humour, in ceremonial rites. Korean masks were used in war, on both soldiers and their horses; ceremonially, for burial rites in jade and bronze and for shamanistic ceremonies to drive away evil spirits; to remember the faces of great historical figures in death masks; and in the arts, particularly in ritual dances, courtly, and theatrical plays. The present uses are as miniature masks for tourist souvenirs, or on cell-phones where they hang as good-luck talismans. Phantoms, in traditional belief, are a physical manifestation of the soul or spirit of a deceased person. Therefore, the exhibition is called Phantoms on Parade. Hyon Gyon has exhibited her work in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Korea, Japan and America. Recent solo shows include a 2011 exhibition at the Kyoto Art Center in Kyoto, Japan and a 2012 exhibition at the g3 Gallery in Tokyo. She has been the recipient of many fellowships including the 2012 Kyoto City Special Bounty of Art and Culture. This is Hyon Gyon’s second solo exhibition in the United States.
Media
Schedule
from September 27, 2013 to November 08, 2013