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Lot Essay
A woman's long, black hair swirls around the grotesque mask of a lurid, catlike beast wearing a jeweled crown of traditional Korean fabric and the ominous message "R.I. P." The tangled black locks that dominate the work add an element of mystery. "In my work," Park has said,
hair denotes the flow of life prior to being freed from pain. I fill the hair with human struggles, such as deep-rooted anxieties, stubborn attachment to life, obsessions and restrictions. Appearing fluid like a live organism, the hair symbolizes longevity and patience. Black hair adds a distinct Asian element. Hair that is messy or unkempt brings to mind a soulless body or corpse.
Surrounding this frightening creature of death are four birds that seem sliced by sharp sword blades (aluminum leaf): a parakeet and hawk at the top, two phoenixes at the bottom. Boldly colored macabre imagery is the hallmark of this artist, who draws on Korean shamanism for inspiration. She conjures up phantoms, a physical manifestation of the spirit of a deceased person. Her work has been described as alluring and upsetting, enticing the viewer into a world of bedlam.
Born and educated in South Korea, Park Hyon-Gyon moved to Kyoto about eight years ago. She received her MA and PhD from the Kyoto City University of Arts. She has had one-person exhibitions at the Kyoto Art Center, Kyoto, in 2011 and Shin Gallery, New York, in 2013. Park's work is in the collection of the Museum of Kyoto, Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation, the Kyoto City University of Arts, and Takahashi Collection, among others. The artist received several fellowships and awards, including the Asao Kato International Scholarship and the Tokyo Wonder Wall Competition Prize.
hair denotes the flow of life prior to being freed from pain. I fill the hair with human struggles, such as deep-rooted anxieties, stubborn attachment to life, obsessions and restrictions. Appearing fluid like a live organism, the hair symbolizes longevity and patience. Black hair adds a distinct Asian element. Hair that is messy or unkempt brings to mind a soulless body or corpse.
Surrounding this frightening creature of death are four birds that seem sliced by sharp sword blades (aluminum leaf): a parakeet and hawk at the top, two phoenixes at the bottom. Boldly colored macabre imagery is the hallmark of this artist, who draws on Korean shamanism for inspiration. She conjures up phantoms, a physical manifestation of the spirit of a deceased person. Her work has been described as alluring and upsetting, enticing the viewer into a world of bedlam.
Born and educated in South Korea, Park Hyon-Gyon moved to Kyoto about eight years ago. She received her MA and PhD from the Kyoto City University of Arts. She has had one-person exhibitions at the Kyoto Art Center, Kyoto, in 2011 and Shin Gallery, New York, in 2013. Park's work is in the collection of the Museum of Kyoto, Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation, the Kyoto City University of Arts, and Takahashi Collection, among others. The artist received several fellowships and awards, including the Asao Kato International Scholarship and the Tokyo Wonder Wall Competition Prize.