Yun Park

Yun Park is a London-based visual artist of South Korean origin. She lives and works in London and Seoul.

Park's practice spans across painting, installation, film, sound, photography and ceramic. Her practice is rooted in meditation and focuses on deconstructing its fundamentals. Her work attempts to represent the state of emotions and to provide memories and sensory experiences. Through abstract narrative and meditation, she poses questions about the state of human psyche which allow us to examine our life from the wider perspective.

Yun Park received a BA degree from UAL Wimbledon College of Arts in Painting in 2019 and also studied art therapy and art history at Columbus College of Arts and Design in United States (2012-2015). In 2022, she received an Master of Arts degree in painting from the Royal College of Art.

All of my art questions the audience themselves; through my paintings, the audience could draw their own insights. The answer to my questions varies from person to person; I hope that the audience has a chance to regard the world from a broader perspective with their unique insights while seeing themselves in the big picture. - Yun Park

My current practice is meditation presented in contemporary art where I deconstruct the cultural significance of colours, blacks and whites with a spectral colour in relation to multi-disciplinary approaches. The colours in my painting attempt to activate emotions and feelings from the viewers which are difficult to pin down or explain. In recent work, I regard that the most effective meditation colours as black and white because they are simple, but multifaceted depending on the light source. Both white and black colours are also complex and at times only implicit.

I also define the colours of white and black as Milan Kundera's philosophical themes of lightness and weight. He describes the irony of life by contrasting the characters as the opposites black and white are often chosen for essential questions about identity. Having light and heavy qualities, the white and black can be seen as metaphors for human life and death.

I believe that paintings intersect (or fuse) with the viewer's state of mind and emotions and create a unique reading of the artwork each and every time. I am exploring the healing power of insight and self-awareness.

On Being and Essence, Oil paint on linen

Medium:

Oil paint on linen

Size:

318.5 cm x 182 cm

"I'm feeling blue. But nature is beautiful in blue." - Yun Park

The Blues describes the irony of life as the one of emotional acceptance.

Emotions serve us in a variety of ways, and the story of emotions is a bit more nuanced and complex, as it is not simply about what we feel in response to what happens around us. Depending on the circumstances we are in and the messages we have received along the way about what we are allowed to feel, emotions (or at least certain ones) may get tagged as acceptable, healthy, or reasonable, or they might get labeled as wrong, crazy, or threatening.

Reference (1): Parker, Holly. (2019) 'The Irony of Emotional Acceptance', Psychology Today, 28 February. Holly Parker, Ph.D. is a lecturer at Harvard University and a psychologist in private practice.

Medium:

Oil paint on linen

Size:

Each painting is 45.5 cm x 45.5 cm

Medium:

Oil paint on linen

Size:

Each painting is 45.5cm x 45.5cm

Medium:

Oil paint on linen

Size:

Each painting is 45.5cm x 45.5cm

Rough Sketch and Process

The meditation bench is created by a traditional Japanese method of wood preservation, 'Shou Sugi Ban'. 'Shou Sugi Ban' siding is very low maintenance and naturally resistant to insects as well as moisture damage. These benefits are made even more apparent when 'Shou Sugi Ban' is used to enhance modified wood boards, which are already more dense, durable and long-lasting than many other wood types and species.

Meditation Bench: Imperfections, Douglas fir, (The bench is created by a traditional Japanese method of wood preservation, 'Shou Sugi Ban').

We potentially have the fear of imperfection. What is the definition of a perfect person? How can one be a perfect person? Why do people wanna be perfect? Is being perfect a good thing? Although we have no definitive answers, we all want to be perfect. But imperfection is who we are as we all have our imperfections. The title of the meditation bench is Imperfections on which we sit. - Yun Park

The meditation bench, Imperfections is a collaboration work with a furniture designer Wojciech Kawczyk. The bench is inspired by a cathedral window which is built in the shape of a semicircle. Meditation and prayer are often linked together although they are used for a completely different purpose. They both bring tranquility, stillness, self-reflection and spiritual journey.

Medium:

Douglas fir, (The bench is created by a traditional Japanese method of wood preservation, 'Shou Sugi Ban').

Size:

170cm (length) x 74cm (height) x 47cm (width)

Between Time and Space (II)

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Photography

Yun Park

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Royal College of Art