In-Your-Face
October 27 – December 10, 2022
UniX Gallery is pleased to present In-Your-Face, a new exhibition of KwangHo Shin.
In his depictions of the human form, KwangHo Shin transcends the boundaries of both classical figuration and contemporary abstraction. Oil paint, applied in heavy layers, becomes as visceral as flesh itself, each painted mark maintaining a supple, mobile life of its own.
His signature impasto style with its gestural sculptural tactility transforms the traditional 2-dimensional format into almost a 3-dimensional bas-relief. These amalgams of paint and genres aim to accurately capture complex human psyche.
Shin’s large scale colorful paintings directly confront the viewer and reflect on the variations of our mental states – from dark or melancholic to innocent and pensive. His monumental portraits explore the human face and its multitude of emotions. The ambiguity and avoidance of literal representation allow the artist to express a very complicated nature of people’s feelings.
Inspired by Abstract Expressionism, he uses oil paint in his unique way to highlight the possibilities of portraiture in the digital age. Thick oil impasto swirls in vibrant colors reveal both bright pop-art explosions and a darker distorted side of the human psyche.
KwangHo Shin admits that his works are also autobiographic: It is also a self-portrait. When I am painting, I don’t make a plan what color will paint…During the painting process I change ideas and feelings many times. I just focus on that feeling; that moment...I put the totality of my energy into that feeling so I know when a work is complete, when feel peaceful. This makes each painting highly personal and unique. It’s also a testament to the fleeting nature of our feelings and emotions.
KwangHo Shin was born in 1983 in Seoul, South Korea. He graduated from the Keimyung University, Daegu Korea in 2009 with a BFA and has since been featured in numerous group and solo exhibitions including Goethe Institute Korea Gallery, Berlin (2011); Gallery Jung, Seoul (2013); ArtRaum Berlin Galerie, Berlin (2013); Bien Gallery, Seoul (2013). Shin has been featured as “One to Watch”, a distinction awarded by the Saatchi Gallery to promising emerging artists. Shin lives and works in Seoul, South Korea.
In-Your-Face runs from October 27th through December 10th, 2022, and the gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
For more information and all inquiries please contact UniX Gallery at info@unixgallery.com or by phone at 212-209-1572.