Kejoo Park's exhibition at Galerie Rieder, titled Nature Reflections, delves into the intricate interplay between the external world and internal experiences, capturing the alienation and connections between humans and nature. Her work, exemplified by paintings like Inner Landscapes, Lost Landscapes, and Pause, contrasts the natural world, untouched by human hands, with the creative forces that define human uniqueness. This duality is visually represented through urban motifs and architectural elements, layered with photographic backgrounds and delicate overlays of paint, forming complex collages.

Park's paintings embody the tension between opposing forces, such as light and dark, and this is reflected in her use of black and white paint, often accompanied by vivid accents of green, yellow, or red. Her style merges traditional Asian calligraphy with European abstract acrylic painting, creating a dynamic balance of line, form, and surface. The result is a subtle yet powerful expression of subjective moments, conveyed through her meticulous and delicate brushwork.

Her latest series, The Song of the Earth, draws inspiration from Gustav Mahler's song cycle, which itself is rooted in ancient Chinese poetry. Through this series, Park explores themes of mortality, existence, and the ephemeral nature of life, paralleling Mahler's reflections on these topics. Influenced by Taoist and Buddhist philosophy, Park's compositions achieve a harmonious union of opposites, offering a rich, expressive portrayal of the complex relationships between life, death, and eternity.
 

Stephanie Schnuerer
Galerie Rieder
10.28.2018