Yoo Youngkuk, Work,
1982 © Yoo Youngkuk Art Foundation. Courtesy of PKM Gallery.PKM Gallery presents the solo exhibition “Yoo
Youngkuk: Stand on the Golden Mean” by Yoo Youngkuk, a pioneer of abstract
painting in Korea, from August 21 to October 10. The exhibition will present 38
oil paintings from the 1950s to the 1980s, including several unreleased works
that will be displayed for the first time since the artist’s passing.
As a first generation of Korean abstract
painting, Yoo developed a unique artistic style by merging traditional Korean
perspectives on nature with Western abstract art. Amidst the turbulent history
of modern and contemporary Korea, Yoo gained profound insights into the essence
of art and life through his observations of nature.
He expressed ever-changing qualities of
nature through a distinctive combination of colors and forms that originated
from his inner vision. Yoo’s use of colors is brilliant and bold, clam and
profoundly elegant all at once, embodying a restrained beauty that exemplifies
the golden mean. Yoo’s aesthetics – established with a solidified inner self
and dignity, and remaining steadfast amid the upheavals of the times – will be
further highlighted through this show.
After graduating from the Department of Oil
Painting at Bunka Gakuin University, Tokyo in 1938, Yoo Youngkuk led Korean
avant-garde art groups such as the Modern Art Association (1957-1962) and
SinSang-Hoe (1962-1968), becoming a prominent figure in Korean art history. He
held a total of fifteen solo exhibitions before his passing, including his
first solo show at the Korea Press Center in 1964 and the Invitational
Exhibition (1979) at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art,
Deoksugung.
Yoo was awarded The Best Awards for Work R3
(1938) at the 2nd Exhibition of Association of Free Artists, the NAA Awards
(Fine Art) (1976), and Bo-Gwan Order of Cultural Merit (1984). In 2016, a major
retrospective was held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art,
Seoul, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his birth.
His first debut exhibition in Europe, “A
Journey to the Infinite: YOO YOUNGKUK” (Querini Stampalia, 2024. 4. 20 – 11.
24) is currently on view as a Collateral Event of the 60th Venice Biennale,
receiving acclaim as one of the best exhibitions in Venice. His works are held
in collections from major institutions such as the National Museum of Modern
and Contemporary Art, Seoul Museum of Art, and Leeum Museum of Art.
