Suh Yongsun
Encyclopedia
Suh Yongsun, also Yong Sun Suh or Seo Young-Sun (Korean: ; born 1951 in Seoul
, South Korea
), is a Korean painter and sculptor. In his art he mainly portrays human existence.
Suh lives and has his main studio in Gyeonggido near Seoul.
from 1975 to 1982 and worked as a professor at the College of Fine Arts at this University from 1986 to 2008.
After withdrawing from his long-time professorship, he was elected Korea's Artist of the Year for 2009 and honored with a solo show at the National Museum of Contemporary Art, South Korea.
He was invited to residency programs in Vermont
in the United States of America in 1995 and to the Monash University
in Melbourne
, Australia
, both in 2006 and in 2010. He also worked at the University of Paris
in 2003. In 2001 he was a visiting professor in Hamburg
, Germany.
and Francis Bacon
.
In the early 1980s he began with painting a series of pine trees. A few years later he changed to the topic of social and historic subjects.
Since then he "explores various subjects including portrait, scenery, history, war, myth and etc, but he is most well known for his work expressing humanity in a metropolitan environment, as well as his historical series that depicts historical accidents."
Visiting New York
and Berlin
strongly influenced on his paintings, which often show urban scenes with roughly executed human figures that often appear masked.
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
), is a Korean painter and sculptor. In his art he mainly portrays human existence.
Suh lives and has his main studio in Gyeonggido near Seoul.
Life
Suh Yongsun studied Fine Arts at Seoul National UniversitySeoul National University
Seoul National University , colloquially known in Korean as Seoul-dae , is a national research university in Seoul, Korea, ranked 24th in the world in publications in an analysis of data from the Science Citation Index, 7th in Asia and 42nd in the world by the 2011 QS World University Rankings...
from 1975 to 1982 and worked as a professor at the College of Fine Arts at this University from 1986 to 2008.
After withdrawing from his long-time professorship, he was elected Korea's Artist of the Year for 2009 and honored with a solo show at the National Museum of Contemporary Art, South Korea.
He was invited to residency programs in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
in the United States of America in 1995 and to the Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, both in 2006 and in 2010. He also worked at the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
in 2003. In 2001 he was a visiting professor in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Germany.
Work
In his art, Suh brings together traditional Korean styles with Western and especially European influences such as the German ExpressionismGerman Expressionism
German Expressionism refers to a number of related creative movements beginning in Germany before the First World War that reached a peak in Berlin, during the 1920s...
and Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Albans, KC was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist, author and pioneer of the scientific method. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England...
.
In the early 1980s he began with painting a series of pine trees. A few years later he changed to the topic of social and historic subjects.
Since then he "explores various subjects including portrait, scenery, history, war, myth and etc, but he is most well known for his work expressing humanity in a metropolitan environment, as well as his historical series that depicts historical accidents."
Visiting New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
strongly influenced on his paintings, which often show urban scenes with roughly executed human figures that often appear masked.
Exhibitions
Suh Yongsun's artworks have been presented in many museums.- 2011: Festart, OsakaOsakais a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Japan - 2010: "The Flower on the Snow", Daejeon Museum of ArtDaejeon Museum of ArtThe Daejeon Museum of Art is located near at 396 Mannyeon-dong, Seo-gu, the Expo Park in Daejeon, South Korea. It opened on April 15, 1998....
, Daejeon, Korea - 2009: "Artist of the Year", National Museum of Contemporary ArtNational Museum of Contemporary ArtThe National Museum of Contemporary Art is a contemporary art museum in Bucharest, Romania. The museum is located in a new glass wing of the Palace of the Parliament, one of the largest administrative buildings in the world.-External links:*...
, Gwacheon, Korea - 2009: "Remembering the Future", Parksoogun Museum, Yanggu, Korea
- 2009: "Beginning of New Era", National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea
- 2005: Crecloo Art Gallery, New York, USA
- 2004: Ilmin Museum of ArtIlmin Museum of ArtIlmin Museum of Art is a private art museum of South Korea, located on Sejongno street in Jongno-gu, a central district of Seoul, known for exhibiting mainly Korean art...
, Seoul, Korea - 2004: Gwangju BiennaleGwangju BiennaleThe Gwangju Biennale, which started in September 1995 in the city of Gwangju in the South Jeolla province of South Korea, was Asia's first contemporary art biennale. The purpose of Gwangju Biennale is globalization of art and it respect diversity rather than uniformity...
, Gwangju, Korea - 2001: Cultural department of the Korean Embassy, Berlin, Germany
- 2001: The Traveling Museum, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea, Gwacheon
- 2001: Seoul Museum of ArtSeoul Museum of ArtThe Seoul Museum of Art is an art museum operated by Seoul City Council and located in central of Seoul, South Korea. It was opened in the Gyeonghuigung Palace area, a royal palace of Joseon dynasty, with six exhibition rooms and an outdoor sculpture park.. However, in 2002 a larger main branch was...
, Seoul, Korea - 2001: Korean modern art: Reinstatement of painting, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea
- 2001: Exposition de echanges interuniverstaires 2001, Galerie Bernanos, Paris, France
- 2000: Contemporary Art from Korea, UNESCOUNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
Palace, Beirut, Lebanon - 1999: Korea contemporary art - The sound of nature, Triangle Gallery, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- 1996: '96 Seoul Art Exhibition, Seoul City Museum, Seoul, Korea
- 1995: Korea-China, Art Center, Seoul, Korea
- 1993: Self Portrait Drawing, Swan Gallery, New York, USA
- 1990: "Expression & Imagination", Contemporary Art Exchange Show, Dong-bang Museum of Art & Los Angeles Art Core Gallery, USA
- 1987: 19th Cagnue International Painting Exhibition, Cagnue, France
Projects
- 2009: "The Wall in the World", Art Project, Berlin
- 2008 Director of Tri Angle Project
- 2007 Director of CheolAm Public Art Project (murals)
- 2001 CheolAm mine village art project
Awards (selection)
- 2009: "Artist of the Year 2009" (National Museum of Contemporary Art, Gwacheon, Korea)
Publications
- "1975-2007 SUH Yongsun I,II,III", Gallery 604,Busan, 2010
- "Artist of the Year 2009 SUH Yongsun", National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea, Gwacheon, 2009
- "SUH Yongsun", Art Vivant, Sigongsa, Seoul, 1994
External links
- Official website
- Galerie Son website (English and German)
- "Wall in the World Project" on the website of the Goethe-Institut with a short CV of Suh Yongsun