01.16.2018 | Frankfurter Rundschau
Kejoo Park does not talk about her art; she philosophizes about it. The artist channels the experience of a varied life into her paintings, continually exploring the connection between humans and nature in all its contrasts and commonalities.
Her works often evoke Far Eastern art but retain a unique style through their partly blurred, partly clearly structured forms. The meaning of the motifs must be deciphered by each viewer. “Every piece of art should be backed by a philosophy,” says Park. “Through my work, I connect the world of ideas from the West and East”.
Born and raised in South Korea, Park went to New York in 1975 to study painting, where she exhibited her works even as a student. After graduating, she continued her studies at Harvard, specializing in landscape architecture. For a time, she studied there with Peter Walker, known for designing the 9/11 Memorial in New York.
Her work as a landscape architect, including in Zurich and Stuttgart, gave her the opportunity to explore the relationship between humans and nature, which is so central to her artistic creation.
“Four years ago, I decided to focus solely on painting because I have so much to express and convey based on my experiences,” Park explains. In her studio in Roedelheim, she has created works for two to three exhibitions a year. When talking to Park about her paintings, one can easily find oneself in a discussion about Nietzsche and Buddha, with the artist integrating her extensive knowledge with remarkable ease.
“In Korea, nature is viewed differently because humans do not dominate it,” says Park. “Instead, they are part of it and have their own inner nature, which I want to make visible.”
The coexistence of humans and nature shapes her own life, which she has spent mostly in cities. “I need conversations and people to discuss with,” Park says. “But to reflect on that, I retreat to nature.”
The Frankfurt artist began contemplating “The Song of the Earth” early on in New York – the city where her career started and where she was first inspired by Gustav Mahler's symphony of the same name. “I first heard this music at Lincoln Center, and I was immediately moved,” says Park. In 2018, she finally realized this concept in a major series of works in Frankfurt.
However, her paintings are not an interpretation of Mahler's work but are deeply inspired by it. The message the artist has derived from this inspiration will, once again, be determined by each viewer – very much in a philosophical way.
Dominik Brueck
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