SOLO

exhibition

“I pursue authentic hyperrealism painting because I feel as though while the current era is booming with abstract paintings and modern art varieties, the extreme detail of hyperrealism is not one to be ignored.”

I was born in 1993 in South Korea and enjoyed drawing instinctively since I was young. Drawing has always been my best hobby and friend throughout my growth.

This is my first portrait with a model in which I went very deep. I styled the model and created the set up. an amazing challenge for building my technique and understanding portraiture.

I entered the department of fine art at Daegu Catholic University in 2013. A year later, I joined the Korean army and drew portraits of many Korean Army generals and politicians, including the Army Chief of Staff. During that time, I had the desire to study abroad so I traveled to study in New York.

Self Portrait

Oil

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Many artists are inspired to paint their self portrait.

I had the opportunity when I was 24. I wanted to capture this time in my life, I was a young ambitious dream boy.

After being discharged from the army in 2016, I had two individual exhibitions and participated in one group show. In 2017 I went to study at the Art Students League of New York, where I was awarded a four-year, full-time course with Sharon Sprung, a New York realism artist.

It is especially challenging for anyone to paint a living character realistically, as if it were alive.

I am currently doing my personal work in New York.

It is especially challenging for anyone to paint a living character realistically, as if it were alive.

Most of my paintings are hyperrealistic portraits. It is especially challenging for anyone to paint a living character realistically, as if it were alive.

It requires a great deal of extensive, in-depth study and research, including anatomical knowledge and understanding.

Such difficulty lies in the nature that human skin appears to contain tens of thousands of colors, depending on the blood vessels flowing through it, and the light it reflects.

A third 3 week pose, live model painting at The Art Students League of New York.

It is part of anatomy study.

But, when it is perfectly expressed, it can give a natural feeling of being alive. It also requires a great deal of extensive, in-depth study and research, including anatomical knowledge and understanding. I feel a great sense of achievement and satisfaction when I complete something successfully.

I fell in love with the hyperrealistic painting style after seeing the work of the Chinese painter, Leng Jun.

His work inspired me, and I wanted to paint like him. I felt an impression left by the limited skills of humans, and the hard work that others could not easily challenge.

Another portrait of my Russian friend Elena. We took the same class for a while and I asked her to model for me.

I feel a great sense of achievement and satisfaction when I complete something successfully.

Portrait of my Russian friend Elena.

The entirety of the process requires significant time, as much as one to three years for large paintings, and my work should always be completed with skill and sincerity. I take and use all of my reference pictures, and work with an intrinsically creative spirit, and uniquely artistic craftsmanship.