Wook-Kyung Choi (1940-1985) is widely known for her association with Abstract Expressionism, one of the major art movements that prevailed when Choi arrived in the United States. After graduating from the College of Fine Arts at Seoul National University in 1963, Choi studied painting at the Cranbrook Academy of Art and later received her master’s degree in Fine Arts from the Brooklyn Museum School of Art. Over a span of ten years, Choi taught painting at Franklin Pierce College (1968-1971), Atlanta College of Arts (1974-1976), and University of Wisconsin, Madison (1977-78), while establishing her career as an artist. Choi spent almost half of her lifetime in the U.S. while her short yet prolific artistic career was crystallized during this period.
Beginning in the late 1960s, Choi embarked on producing paintings, in which the artist made abstract mark-making and often incorporated a wide range of colors and collage technique. Her collages denote Choi’s curiosity and engagement with popular media alongside her interest in experimenting with forms and materials. In her works, the artist would glue cut magazines and papers in dynamic arrangements and apply acrylic or ink paint to accentuate visual relationships. While her use of appropriated language and female imagery does not directly reflect a specific message, such visual clues in her works allude to Choi’s interest in cultural critique and self-reflection as a female artist. For Choi, the combination of her gestural abstraction with printed mediums and vigorous use of color activated her works, allowing both her and viewers to become socially engaged. Her works offer a rare window into Choi’s personal life story as well as her poignant response to the charged social milieu of the 1960s and ‘70s America.
“Both my paintings and poems are about my life, but I am not simply telling stories.” Choi mentioned. “I am trying to express, visually and verbally, my experience of the events lived. I hope to share, to communicate, and to create empathy for the experience.”
Choi continued her career as an artist and professor after she returned to Korea in 1978, teaching at Yeungnam University and later at Duksung Women’s University. Choi’s engagement with Western movements set her apart from her contemporaries such as the Dansaekhwa artists, as evident in her bold painterly styles and vibrant color palettes. Choi’s challenge to the orthodoxy of the Korean art scene came in many different forms: abstract paintings, ink drawings, paper collages, and figure drawings.
ABOUT TINA KIM GALLERY
Founded in New York in 2001 by Tina Kim and located in Chelsea, Tina Kim Gallery is celebrated for its unique programming that emphasizes international contemporary artists, historical overviews, and independently curated shows. With the gallery’s strong focus on Asian contemporary artists, Tina Kim has become a leading figure in introducing the Korean Dansaekhwa art movement to the American audience. Furthermore, she has created a platform for emerging and renowned artists such as Lee Seung Jio, Pacita Abad, Kim Tschang-Yeul, Tania Pérez Córdova, Minouk Lim, Davide Balliano, and Suki Seokyeong Kang. Through its programming, the gallery works closely with internationally renowned curators for special exhibitions and produces scholarly art publications.
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