Vibes and Vistas (2024)

04/03/2024

Hi again, everyone!

It has been a while, but we are re-igniting our Instagram account.

We would love to kick things off by giving a big shout out to some of our previously featured K-creatives.

Today, we zone in on Inkyung Kwon, Mia Kim, and Jeongrock Heo, three talented artists who express the rhythms, hues, and emotional essence of urban life in South Korea.

You can find the full online exhibition entitled “Big City Life” on our website:

https://vibesnvistas.com/3-korean-artists-who-imbibe-the-energy-of-big-city-life

Featured Artists & Works

Paradise Saved 2 (2013). Vintage Ephemera Collage, Pigment and Acrylic on Hanji. 194 × 130cm.gim Spathiphyllum in the Orange Room (2017). Mixed Media on Canvas. 116.8 x 91cm.
On My Way Home 2 (2022). Oil on Canvas. 33.4 x 24.2cm.

Stay tuned for more incredible works and artist stories in the coming weeks!

02/02/2023

Inspired by brief daily encounters, Anna connects the dots, brushes preconceptions aside, and expresses her complex emotional reactions to interpersonal spots of time.

Based in London, “dislocation” has played a major role in Anna's life. Whether psychological, emotional or geographical, she has long explored the complexities of human distance through the medium of art.

Anna delves extensively into the hidden narratives of strangers as they pass her by across and within the streets, trains, pubs and street markets close to her London studio.

A portfolio of intimacy, her paintings unveil the many layers of human interactions and relationships so difficult to put into words. Often reminded of her own status as a foreigner far from home, she releases her thoughts in an honest and refreshingly playful collection of sketchbook outbursts.

Anna is fascinated by the ways in which vulnerability can be dramatized in the form of revealing or even incredibly awkward moments. Her collection of short-term memory fragments and quickfire observations build upon each other like chapters in a boundless novel she calls life. With an artistic gaze, she gradually decodes hidden truths and achieves a sense of belonging along the way.

27/01/2023

From the totemistic masks of indigenous cultures to old school tattoos and graffiti-esque portraits, Utoori’s faces paint an eye-catching picture of his imaginative and complex mind.

Inspired by Picasso and his three-dimensional and fragmentary human forms, Utoori's digitized totem poles showcase the stark contrast between his disorganized inner world and a desire for a stronger state of mind.

His fluid faces reflect a personal journey of discovery. In an almost shamanistic sense, his stacked expressions become a potent mirror and mode of self-analysis from which to achieve balance in a topsy-turvy world.

For those who gaze upon them, Utoori's eclectic paintings capture the raw and honest energy of our chaotic yet beautiful lives. As protective forces and talismans, they also stare back at us and evoke a certain strength and courage otherwise concealed.

Utoori is inspired by a variety of experiences and aesthetic elements from around the world. With the unplanned regularity of a gleeful young child with crayons in hand, he innocently allows us into his creative soul. His powerful portraits startle and embolden us with visual stories that although abstract, become astonishingly relatable over time. Young at heart, Utoori encapsulates the playfulness of youth in order to ease and soothe the seriousness and growing pains of an adulthood yet to unfold.

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐔𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐢'𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞 ()

27/01/2023

Busan is known as the dynamic city and this painting by Inhwa Han is certainly proof of that! As a lifelong resident, she is often inspired by childhood memories about times spent chilling in the vibrant district of Seomyeon. Back in high school, she remembers slipping on her uniform, fancying up her hair and dashing off to the Seomyeon Theater just to catch a glimpse of Tom Cruise's smile on the big screen :)

To celebrate her favorite place, she created this spectacularly cool navigator; a man from Busan whose hair is styled into a map of the city. If you look closely enough you can see roads, buildings, neon sighns and local people buzzing around in the highlights.

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐡𝐰𝐚'𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞 ()

26/01/2023

As an invisible creative, Lee's philosophical body of work exists on the borders of life in Korea. With camera in hand, he visualizes the gritty truth and motivates us to experience the world around us with a sense of renewed empathy and care.

His intense photographic collections such as "Beyond Beauty" and "The Pursuit of Time," stimulate the synapses while breaking down social stereotypes as played out and reinforced on the pulsating streets of Korea.

With eyes wide open, his emotion-heavy shots serve to normalize vulnerability and liberate his audience from a daily assault of expectations and apprehensions. From the shadows, Lee finds meaning in the eclectic colors and dynamic flow of city life. Beyond the veil of beauty, however, he feels compelled to illuminate a few of life's unspoken truths.

Against the grain, Lee's hauntingly beautiful photographs have been met with a silent sense of disapproval. Conflicted, he has been forced to fluctuate between his true conceptual passions and the more unassuming aesthetics of mainstream street photography.

Often criticized for his fascination with "ugliness," Lee understands that human relationships can be a source of extreme pain, the scars of which embed themselves into the cracks and crevices of our hearts and minds. For him, any genuine photograph encourages its audience to engage deeply with the action taking place beneath the surface pixels. Such a capture reveals long-buried wounds and openly purifies them in the light and open air.

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐞𝐞'𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞 ()

24/01/2023

Once a student of music, Inkyung's art career started by chance when she tagged along to an art class with a friend. Since then, she has inked colorful and personalized collages that explore urban life from distinctly emotional perspectives.

When young, Inkyung's brother fell ill and developed aphasia due to post-surgical complications. In his altered state, he preferred to be confined to his own space and isolated himself from the outside world.

In her Jingyeong (True View) Landscapes, Inkyung shares an intimate collection of memories. At the same time, she considers the contradictory nature of people like her brother; those who desire seclusion on the one hand, yet cry out for human connection on the other.

Inkyung's imaginary terrains overlap vintage ephemera, ink and pigments so as to create a vibrant collage of the city. Amidst the urban sprawl, she re-focuses her gaze and connects with the lives of those who coexist within.

She is fascinated by the psychology of private space and the relationships between human beings and the sanctuaries they hold dear. In this light, the city for her constitutes a series of fortresses and “Heart-Lands” that protect her against the evils of daily life.

Under the weight of change, one must find comfort zones from which to draw a line under previous chapters and embark on pathways anew. From progression and regression, triumph and defeat, or even life and death, Inkyung invites us all to find our own element, harmonize life's extremes and ride an upward wave towards mental stability and inner peace.

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐤𝐲𝐮𝐧𝐠'𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞 ()

22/01/2023

Returning to his roots, Won Chul revitalizes childhood memories in the form of visual stories. Nostalgic and organic, his creative reflections re-awaken the joys of youth dormant within us all.

Longing for times gone by, Won Chul attempts to retrieve the pieces of his past. His acrylic paintings transport him to a point of child-like innocence otherwise irretrievable and offer him a new lease of life in the present.

As time marches on, the vibe of the moment shifts to the tune of one's environment. When painting, Won Chul's present mood begins to blend with the fragments of joy contained within his humble works. This sense of joy enriches his life and competes against the pressures of adulthood.

Lyrical and poetic, his nostalgic scenes transport his audience through the many versions of themselves that have come and gone. They instill in us a sense of hope for all the enchanting experiences yet to unfold.

Won Chul depicts imaginative games as played out in the beauty of the Korean countryside. His protector trees stretch to the heavens as boisterous birds frolic with the clouds above. Imbibing the energy of Won Chul and his childhood pals, we feel empowered to converse with curious crescent moons as if it were the most normal thing in the world. After all, he shows us what it would be like to fly high above concerns and hang out with the stars.

Won Chul believes that we should all carry a little curiosity and wonder in our pockets as we grow older. Now based in Jinju, he continues to be an active and spirited member of the local art scene. He will never stop honoring his memories because in the mind of a storyteller, absolutely anything and everything is possible.

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐥'𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞 (@𝐣𝐮𝐰𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐨𝐥𝟖)

21/01/2023

Lucy's life changed when she relocated to the paradise island of Jeju. Since then, she has shared the beauty of traditional art and proved that folk paintings really can be creative, fun and super relatable after all.

After moving to Jeju, Lucy fell in love with the folklore of the island and immersed herself in the local painting scene. Rather than depict the scenery that surrounds her, however, she re-imagined the nature, people, and animals that filled her life with joy and surprises each day.

Minhwa paintings date back to Joseon times. For Lucy, they are simple and free spirited works brimming with the humor and honest desires of everyday folk. To popularize the genre, she travels back in time and imagines how her ancestors would have expressed themselves were they alive today.

While she infuses folk imagery into her landscape scenes and utilizes old-fashioned materials and techniques, Lucy also stitches together and visualizes fragments of her daily life in a way that reaches out and touches our modern hearts.

Lucy crushes powdered pigments and mixes them with glue to form liquid pastel tones. Stacking these colors on hanji, her memories and emotions melt into the fabric of her work in a truly fairytale-like fashion. With sprinklings of magic, Lucy’s deep sea diving grandmas, Hareubang stone sculptures, and inflatable unicorn-riding felines coexist to celebrate the beauty of Jeju island that has colored her life since day one.

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐲'𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞 ()

21/01/2023

As an ex-fashion designer, Yejin's preference for bright, uplifting and bling-bling vibes rings true. She draws inspiration from mental clearings and feels ever-energized by the thought of connecting deeply with her audience.

While working as a fashion designer, Yejin had no choice but to force-fit her designs to meet consumer demand. Beyond the politics, she always enjoyed the illustration process and bringing her designs to life.

After marriage and childbirth, Yejin quit her job and took some time to think about what she really wanted out of life. For her, the charm of fine art lies in its power to bring out more of one’s inner self. It allows her to express her inner world without those fixed frames and deliver her message with absolute sincerity. In revealing the true her, fine art became a tool with which to reach out and elicit empathy from others. Above all, she cherishes the joys of turning simple ideas into visibly mellow and healing forms.

An artist roams a lonely path. Things prosper, but sudden blockages emerge to stifle the flow. In those moments, Yejin is swarmed by the visceral fear of contaminating her vision.

Like an actor, she often immerses in her projects and loses herself in her artistic role.Although her works are positive in tone, when Yejin lays down the brush, she feels the turmoil bubbling up from within. She distracts herself for a while and returns to the studio on her own terms. That way, the dreaded knot begins to untangle. This kind of steady tenacity has taught Yejin that fear is only temporary and that no matter what, there is always joy waiting at the end of the creative tunnel.

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐘𝐞𝐣𝐢𝐧'𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞 (@𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭.𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐲_𝐣)

20/01/2023

With the exhibition hall as his playground, D**g Gu channels a chaotic spectrum of emotions and finds imaginative ways to turn his frowns upside down. His complex yet uplifting works encourage us to question the pursuit of happiness and live life on our own terms, today!

With innocence intact, D**g Gu flung open his animal encyclopedia and sketched out the weird and wonderful creatures inside. Life happened, however, and he soon came to fixate upon the theme of "emptiness". At times a picture of despair, he explored the futility of human existence and grappled with a sense of fragility that once defined his days.

After his military service, he turned the tables by re-focusing on the concept of happiness. Now, with his feet firmly on the ground, he draws inspiration from chance conversations and literary texts, all of which stimulate striking ideas and fresh perspectives on the world around him.

He twists and turns hidden spots of happiness into visual metaphors with a dash of trademark humor on the side. Listening to instrumentals in the studio, he marches flagrantly to the beat of his own brush strokes. You could even say that art has set him free. Anything but average, his oneof-a-kind art pieces will, in his own words, “throw ice-cold water on your face and leave you wanting more.”

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐮'𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞 ()

20/01/2023

As her brush strokes unfold across the paper, Soyoung strives to capture the authenticity of her natural footprint. A picture of stillness and serenity at first glance, her landscapes flow beautifully with organic rhythms and celebrate the unbridled energy of Mother Nature across the seasons.

Deep in the Outback, she was caught off guard by an overwhelming surge of emotion. All at once, the colors of nature seemed to gyrate to the melody of the sun and the varying intensity of Her rays.

Under the scorching sky, Soyoung gazed deeply into nature’s beating heart and revealed the traces of time immemorial. The wilderness of Australia captivated Soyoung's senses, tugged at her emotions, and instilled in her a sense of wonder that continues to effervesce to this day.

Returning to Korea, Soyoung found herself fascinated by aspects of nature that would have previously gone unnoticed. Over reddish soil and through the mysterious blue mist, she lost herself in the forests and mountains.

The canvas becomes an immersive, reconstructed space in which to communicate the unspeakable and reaffirm the value of her own existence. Forming silent clearings and subtle changes in tone, her inked accumulation of dots and lines negotiate with one another and invite the audience into a complex yet harmonious world of inner sensations.

She hopes that her works will catch the eyes of passersby who find themselves dazed and confused amidst the torrents of life. When all seems lost, she motivates us to return to nature, nourish our roots, and find something down under to truly believe in.

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐨𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠'𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞 ()

Vibes and Vistas

04/03/2024

02/02/2023

27/01/2023

27/01/2023

26/01/2023

24/01/2023

22/01/2023

21/01/2023

21/01/2023

20/01/2023

20/01/2023

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