Yunkwan Reynolds

The research explored in this exhibition investigates the impact of Joseon-era Korean folk art on modern artistic inventiveness and innovation. It is a dissection of heritage and identity that follows the growth of folk art within traditional Korean society, and the influence it has over contemporary art today. 

My position outlines the implications of Confucianism, local philosophy, symbolism, cultural growth, modernism and social reform on Korean folk art. It examines how the genre spread through infancy, ridicule and revolution, to consequently being accepted as a vessel of culture, heritage, education and symbolism.

My studio work is the result of capturing the essence of Joseon folk art and combining it with contemporary approaches to abstract expressionism. This research has focused on igniting debate around identity and understandings of herritage, while popularising a beautiful and under-appreciated art form. The research inspired the need to imbed a spirit and soul in each painting, to incite conversations about culture and identity.