About the artist

Younhee Paik Frontpage Thumbnail

She often walks in the park or by the seashore as she contemplates nature in quiet. It is essential to her work to find the true perception of the time and space to which she belongs—'my eyes want to see further, and I wish to scale the heights….'

Younhee Paik was educated first in Korea, she lived in San Francisco where she received her MFA and resided there as an active artist for over thirty years while continually revisiting her homeland. For the past twelve years she has held a studio and exhibited in New York, San Francisco, and Seoul.
 She is a passionate, expressive painter whose feelings assume a masterful presence in large, dynamic paintings. The Asian attributes of Paik's work are reflected by subject and method as her pieces are about transformation and transition between the material and spiritual worlds. Her choice of symbols represents both the work of nature and man: water and bridges, forests and ships, stars and ladders. Her sky paintings are filled with motifs which have both universal meaning and human reasoning. Her metaphors can be extended to her most recent development on large, unframed canvas and aluminum plates. Most important of these metaphors are the lights she uses in various ways. Light here signifies the beyond—spiritual beyond—light of heaven.

Paik's strength as an artist is that she continues to paint her wonder, throwing aside a certain regard for life as it is.

Acrylic on canvas

Oil on aluminum

Oil on canvas

Installations

My Installation is not only inspired by my desire to explore the vast universe, but also by my mother's passing due to cancer. She was lying in a hospital bed over a year, and all she could look was the hospital ceiling. I wanted to hang some peaceful painting to soothe her, but it was not possible. Now I continue this idea with motion of clouds, a forest breeze, a starry night and shinning water using translucent colors on unstretched canvas. Hanging them like sails over the ceiling, overlapping one another off the wall. Also, installed the paintings on the floor and covered them with plexyglass, so that the reflection of the ceiling onto the floor made entire space one complete world of buoyancy and journey through the galaxy. Viewer can walk on the plexyglass and lie down on a mattress under the ceiling paintings while listening to music.

Exhibits

  • SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
  • 2010 Braunstein Quay Gallery, San Francisco, CA
  • 2009 "Wondrous Garden," Tenri Cultural Institute, New York, NY
  • 2008 Sandra Lee Gallery, San Francisco, CA
  • 2008 Whanki Museum, Seoul, Korea
  • 2007 Gallery IHN, Seoul, Korea
  • 2006 Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, CA
  • 2005 Staller Center for the Arts, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
  • 2004 Heidi Cho Gallery, New York, NY
  • 2001 Gallery Hyundai, Seoul, Korea
  • 2000 Saint Peter's Church, New York, NY
  • 2000 Brenda Taylor Gallery, New York, NY
  • 1999 Kennedy Art Center, Holy Names College, Oakland, CA
  • 1999 TOTAL Museum, Seoul, Korea
  • 1997 Gallerie BHAK, Seoul, Korea
  • 1997 San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Rental Gallery, San Francisco, CA
  • 1996 LASCA Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
  • 1996 D.P. Fong Gallery, San Jose, CA
  • 1994 Hyundai Gallery, Seoul, Korea
  • 1993 D.P. Fong Gallery, San Jose, CA
  • 1991 Triton Museum, Santa Clara, CA
  • 1991 Hyundai Gallery, Seoul, Korea
  • 1990 The Allrich Gallery, San Francisco, CA
  • 1989 Kennedy Art Center, Holy Names College, Oakland, CA
  • 1989 Jennifer Pauls Gallery, Sacramento, CA
  • 1988 National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea
  • 1988 The Allrich Gallery, San Francisco, CA
  • 1988 Duson Gallery, Seoul, Korea
  • 1987 Los Angeles Artcore, Los Angeles, CA
  • 1986 San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, CA
  • 1985 San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Rental Gallery, San Francisco, CA
  • 1985 "When We Meet Again," Han Kuk Gallery, Seoul, Korea
  • 1983 "Here to There," Korean Cultural Gallery, New York, NY
  • 1982 "Here to There," Bridge Gallery, San Francisco, CA
  • 1979 "Vision of Origin," Community Art Center, San Pedro, CA
  • 1976 Sinsegue Gallery, Seoul, Korea
  • 1975 29th San Francisco Arts Festival, San Francisco, CA
  • SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
  • 2009 DaeJeon City Museum, DaeJeon, Korea
  • 2008 Whanki Museum, Seoul, Korea
  • 2007 International Incheon Women Artists' Biennale, Incheon, Korea
  • 2007 Asian American Art Center, New York, NY
  • 2006 Schneider Museum of Art, Southern Oregon University, Ashland, Oregon
  • 2001 Sugar Hill Art Center, Harlem, NY
  • 2001 Woodward Gallery, New York, NY
  • 2001 Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery, University of California at Santa Cruz
  • 2000 Gallery Korea, New York, NY
  • 1999 Euphrat Museum of Art, De Anza College, Cupertino, CA
  • 1998 Triton Museum of Art, Santa Clara, CA
  • 1998 Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston, SC
  • 1997 Art Museum of South Texas, Corpus Christi, TX
  • 1997 Western Gallery, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA
  • 1997 Memorial Art Gallery, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
  • 1997 "The Painter's Craft," Humboldt State University Art Gallery, Arcata, CA
  • 1996 "Tiger's Tail," National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, Korea
  • 1996 "Rapture," San Francisco State University Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA
  • 1996 "Who is Afraid of Freedom," Newport Harbor Art Museum, Newport Beach, CA
  • 1996 "Rediscovering the American Landscape," Gerald Peter Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
  • 1996 "Korean Art, New Sensation," Gallery Korea, New York, NY
  • 1996 Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson, AZ
  • 1995 "Tiger's Tail," Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy
  • 1995 Crocker Museum, Sacramento, CA
  • 1995 Transamerica Gallery, San Francisco, CA
  • 1995 John N. Joe Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
  • 1995 SOMAR Gallery, San Francisco, CA
  • 1995 San Jose Museum, San Jose, CA
  • 1995 Whan Ki Museum, Seoul, Korea
  • 1995 Hyundai Gallery, Seoul, Korea
  • 1994 "Mentors," San Francisco Art Commission Gallery, San Francisco, CA
  • 1994 "Landscape," Korean Cultural Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
  • 1993 Haenah-Kent Gallery, New York, NY
  • 1993 "Seoul, California 7," Art Beam Gallery, Chosun Art Gallery, Seoul, Korea
  • 1993 "What Heaven Looks Like," San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose, CA
  • 1991 National Museum of Modern Art, Mexico City, Mexico
  • 1990 Angel's Gate Cultural Center, San Pedro, CA
  • 1989 Gloria Laguna Museum, Austin, TX
  • 1989 Jeremy Stone Gallery, San Francisco, CA
  • 1989 Jose Droids Biada Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
  • 1988 "Countervisions: Pioneers in Bay Area Art," SFSU, San Francisco, CA
  • 1986 Jennifer Pauls Gallery, Sacramento, CA
  • 1985 San Bernadino County Museum, San Bernadino, CA
  • 1984 Wingluk Memorial Museum, Seattle, WA
  • 1984 World Print Council Gallery, San Francisco, CA
  • 1983 Korean Culture Gallery, Paris, France
  • 1982 Dugsoo National Modern Art Museum, Seoul, Korea

Articles and Essays

  • ARTICLES
  • Albright, Thomas. At the Galleries, "Ersatz Patterns and Taco Art,"

    San Francisco Chronicle January 22, 1981.

  • Blauvelt, William. "Time and Space: Individual and Cosmic Aspects,"

    Seattle Times July 25, 1984.

  • Burkhart, Dorothy. "Critic's Choice,"

    San Jose Mercury News March 2, 1986.

  • Burkhart, Dorothy. "Paik's Paintings Impress,"

    San Jose Mercury News January 27, 1990.

  • Gottlieb, Shirley. "Balance of Opposites,"

    Artweek October 4, 1990.

  • Im, Jung Kwon. "Korean American Artist Blends East and West,"

    Korea Times Los Angeles October,1990.

  • Kim, Young Jai. Space June 1988.
  • Koppman, Debra. "To Your Health,"

    Artweek April 1999.

  • Lee, Heong Woo. "Time and Space: Individual and Cosmic Aspects,"

    Space Volume 217 July 1985.

  • Pak, Rai Kung. "Great Ecstasy After Wandering and Agonizing,"

    Space Volume 112 October 1976.

  • Pakusich, Tom. "Harbor's Fine Art,"

    Daily Breeze/News-pilot August 24,1979.

  • Roder, Sylvie. "Meditations on Spiritural Space,"

    Artweek March 8, 1986.

  • Ross, Jeanette. "Bridge into Infinity,"

    Artweek February 1, 1990.

  • Telford, Ann. Home and Garden pages 30-31 February 1990.
  • CATALOG ESSAYS
  • Van Proyen,Mark " Redemptive Remembering; Art of Younhee Paik" 2005.
  • Morgan, Robert. "Attending Universe", January 2005.
  • Goodman, Jonathan. October 2001.
  • Heartney, Eleanor. "Nocturnal Journeys," April 1999.
  • Nixon, Bruce. "Atmospheric Conditions: Recent Work by Younhee Paik," April 1999.
  • Linhare, Philip E. "The Art of Younhee Paik," September 1997.
  • Song, Mi-Suk. "Journey to the Unknown World," September 1997.
  • McCann, Cecile. September 1994.
  • Oh,Kwangsoo "Visionary Space of Another Realm" 1994
  • Sterrels, Ianco Josine. February 1991.
  • Hopkins, Henry T. "The Evolution of Younhee Paik's Symbols and Work," February 1991.
  • Lee, Kyung Sung. March 1991.
  • Martin, Fred. April 1985.
  • Brown, Betty. March 1988.

Public Collections

  • Ho Am Art Museum, Seoul, Korea
  • Byuck San Corporation, Seoul, Korea
  • Triton Museum, Santa Clara, CA
  • San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, CA
  • Korean Cultural Service, New York, NY
  • National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea
  • Korea Exchange Bank, New York, NY
  • Dae-Woo America, Inc., San Francisco, CA
  • Metallion Corporation, San Francisco, CA
  • Kangwon Inc., Seoul, Korea
  • Pacific Bell Co., San Francisco, CA
  • Sam Yang Corporation, Seoul, Korea
  • Bank of America, Sacramento, CA
  • Inje University, Pusan, Korea
  • Ilshin, Inc., Seoul, Korea
  • Posco Center, Seoul, Korea
  • Hyo Sung Co., Ltd., Seoul, Korea

Contact Younhee

Younhee Paik contact Thumbnail

Younhee Paik can be reached via email:
younheepaik@aol.com

or by phone:
+1 (212) 967-8292 (NY studio)
+1 (510) 531-1686 (Oakland studio)
+1 (917) 406-5324 (Mobile)