artistic approach“There is beauty in everything, even in sadness.”
My art comes instinctually and is an expression of the things that I have experienced and observed. By unraveling and expressing my spiritual instinct into a painting it gives me answers. I like to be brave enough to show my personal experiences for others to relate to and also to capture my observations of others. I like to show to everyone who views my art that there is beauty to be found in everything. I am a self-taught acrylic-based mixed media artist. My preferred approach is that I always paint on raw canvas, as I believe it is reflective of the life I have lived. Things are not always given to you and I have always been faced to make something from nothing. With everything you do in life you first have to make the foundation to plant your seed. When it blossoms and I see the beautiful colours on the ground that I have built, there is nothing else like it for me in this world. Hence, even knowing there is a ground that’s given to me, I prefer the process of making it on my own and forging my own path. Exploring how to use raw canvas really fascinates me and it rings true to my personal philosophy of being challenged. In fact, one of my main goals is for the viewer to understand the philosophy behind the untouched natural surface of the artwork and not just the image itself. For portraits, the process starts with a solid colour underneath before it is covered by the shell of the body. I do this because I believe there is a true being of the person, an aura you cannot hide even in the worst situations in life. As the composition takes shape, I often use flowers, plants, and animals to help illustrate the symbolic meaning behind the work and to tell the story. Once I begin applying colours and adding details, I get consumed by the way the brush, and the colours become me. It’s as if the painting flows through me and takes hold of me, spiritually. Lastly, I always finish the painting by stitching my name with hand-dyed red thread, which symbolises strength and connection, while closing that chapter of my life. Ultimately, my desire is for the viewer to connect to at least one of the emotions I’ve expressed, and then, while looking closer, peeling back the meanings to discover the sadness and the beauty. some of the artists that inspire me:
Frida Khalo, Egon Chile, Diego Rivera, Edwa Munch, Paul Gaugin, Joan Miro, Gustav Klimt, Wassily Kandinski, Claude Monet, Henri Matisse. |
Haejin Yoo - Winner of the Public Vote Award for the NOWART Exhibition, Werkkunst Gallery 2019
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biography
Born in Seoul, South Korea, Haejin Yoo is a self-taught mixed media artist who specialises in surrealistic expressionist art. Haejin’s art meanders through her past and present life experiences with the intention to evoke the same emotions once felt in the moment. As a symbol of her philosophy in life that all things start from the ground, her signature approach is to paint on a raw canvas. This means every canvas is hand stretched onto the frame before the composition takes shape with a series of techniques and complex applications of colours and mediums. Gold and silver leafing often feature in Haejin’s paintings to display hope, while hand-dyed red thread is sewed into the canvas in an act to sign off that moment in time, which the painting represents.
Haejin’s artistic passion was discovered at a young age, but after moving to Sydney, Australia alone at the young age of 12, a tough childhood and dramatic adolescent years resulted in the suppression of her artistic desires until her late-twenties.
Now living in Cologne, Germany, Haejin has gained significant traction exhibiting across Europe, including the Amsterdam International Art Fair and winning the Public Vote Award during Werkkunst Gallery’s NOWART Exhibition.
Haejin’s artistic passion was discovered at a young age, but after moving to Sydney, Australia alone at the young age of 12, a tough childhood and dramatic adolescent years resulted in the suppression of her artistic desires until her late-twenties.
Now living in Cologne, Germany, Haejin has gained significant traction exhibiting across Europe, including the Amsterdam International Art Fair and winning the Public Vote Award during Werkkunst Gallery’s NOWART Exhibition.