Visit the Triton Museum's Virtual Tour:
Expressions from the Soul
Bay Area Korean American Women Artists
May 23 through August 16, 1998

The six artists whose work is part of this exhibition Korean-born women living in and around San Francisco California, who either began or continued formal art training in the United States. Their work is informed and shaped by their experiences of being born and reared in the Korean culture, by a Korean art tradition that can be traced back to the fourth century B.P. (Before Present), by Buddhist and Confucian traditions and teachings, and in several cases, by Cliristian doctrine. Through their travels, research and art studies, they are conversant in the visual languages of many cultures.

These various doctrines, philosophies and art traditions reveal and conceal themselves in the work and the life of Miran Ahn, Jung Ran Bae, Soo Choi, Sandra Sunnyo Lee, Young June Lew and Younhee Paik. We are all, to a greater or lesser degree, influenced by the qeography, culture and times in which we live. As the world grows "smaller," we begin to realize that many seemingly unrelated philosophies and religions share common ideas, concerns and goals. These associations help us realize that no matter the culture of our birth, we are inextricably bound to each other and to the universe. If we look at the elements of past and prevailing beliefs and art traditions, we find similarities, some of which are superficial and others as deep as the ocean.

Susan Hillhouse
Curator of Art

Philosophical and Religious Influences

Having lived in both Eastern and Western worlds, the artists in this exhibition represent a rich integration of ancient and modern ideas and ideals such as Confucianism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Transcendentalism. Confucian thought reveals that when li (ritual, pattern, lane or convention), te (virtue, strength), and jen (humanity) converge with tao (the way, the natural law), the world is at peace, abounds and the harmony between the natural the social spheres results in material well-being for The conventions or rules (li) are approached through bsin (heart-mind), suffering, impermanence and no-self. Confucianism calls upon its followers to practice reason and to develop an aptitude for living a peaceful, orderly and harmonious existence guided by clearly defined moral laws and social rules.

Buddhism takes on a less fixed, more fluid attitude. It emphasizes the power of nature, attention to the spirit and acceptance of the inevitability of change. Buddha teaches that suffering is a given, that it has a cause, and that it can be ceased. Tao leads the way out of suffering into the state of nirvana. Nirvana can be achieved through the combination of ethical and disciplinary practices that lead to enlightenment and wisdom. Lao Tze, a sixth century B.P. follower of Taoism, spoke of opposite thoughts and truths coexisting, complementing and contrasting with each other. For example, without ugliness we cannot know beauty, and we can recognize good only when we acknowledge that there is bad. Lao Tze taught that difficulty and ease complement each other, that high and low rest upon each other, and that front and back follow one another.

Congruent with Confucianism and Buddhism, Christianity encourages its followers to think about the afterlife. Christian doctrine states that there is a kingdom of God and there should be justice toward humankind and humility toward God. This justice and humility is defined and addressed by moral and legal laws.

The integration of Eastern and Western philosophies is not new to the history of art. One and a half centuries ago, Transcendentalism was formed and flourished in America; it is a movement through which we can make connections to Eastern philosophies. The Hudson River School was born out of Transcendentalist thought and Western and Eastern principles. This art movement shares a belief that the microcosm of humankind participates in the macrocosm of the landscape. The work of the Hudson River School artists, like that of many of the artists in this exhibition, serves' as a pantheistic portrayal of nature, in which humans are either absent from or insignificant in the work.

Expressions from the Soul

As Korean-born women living and working in the greater Bay Area, the six artists in this Aexhibition share some basic and profound beliefs and attitudes about life, art and nature. All are travelers forging their passages, exploring time and space, and collecting the visual and spiritual information that will enable them to develop a cognitive map with which to navigate this life and the lives ahead of them. Their work is the concrete evidence of personal investigations and experiences. They have been influenced and moved by diverse sources such as Abstract Expressionism, Surrealism, assemblage, natural settings, and by the freedom with which women live in California. However, each artist has her own independent way of using and interpreting the various styles, media and movements learned in Eastern and Western art.