Sei Ryun Chun: Eternal
July 19, 2017 – January 12, 2018
Location: Bank of Hope Manhattan, 16 W 32nd Street #1, New York NY 10001
The AHL Foundation, in partnership with the Bank of Hope, is pleased to present a six-month commission of artworks by Sei Ryun Chun to be on view at the Bank of Hope Manhattan Branch from July 19, 2017 – January 12, 2018.
Sei Ryun Chun’s solo exhibition, Eternal, will include 24 artworks which incorporate mixed media such as canvas, wood, leather that is stained with tea, traditional Korean ink, and painted on top to reveal remnant of the tea that has been absorbed to produce the static residue of time. Chun’s work is heavily influenced by “Gyubang” culture – a traditional lifestyle of Korean women with a focus on knitting, painting, and tea making. Her abstract expressionist work explores the ideas of “chun-ji-in (heaven-earth-human)” through her circular works that represent heaven and rectangular works that represent earth while threads symbolize the relationships and connections of human beings.
As an expert of the traditional Korean tea ceremony, Chun actively incorporates tea as part of her paintings—tealeaves and stains become a visual element while they provide a subtle fragrance to the paintings. With these elements made available to the viewers through work, she aims to provide an experience that viewers are invited to the artist’s tea ceremony and her meditation routines.
Born in Busan, Sei Ryun Chun majored in Fine Art at Konkuk University studying sculpture and painting. After graduation, she taught at Shinjung middle and high schools. In 1981, she moved to the U.S and studied etching at the New Milford Art Center in New Jersey and New York University in New York. She has had 14 international solo exhibitions and her work has been exhibited around the world including Korea, Italy, France, Germany, and the United States. She is also the Executive Director of Oms Art and has written extensively about art.
This exhibition is part of AHL Foundation’s Art in the Workplace Program, which exhibits contemporary artwork in a work environment to create greater exposure for talented artists while fostering easier access and support for the arts within the business community. The Art in the Workplace program is presented in collaboration with Jason J. Kim Dental Aesthetics with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
For further inquiries about the exhibition or our programs, please contact 212-675-1619 or info@ahlfoundation.org.
