Youjin YI

Yi Youjin is an abstract artist whose work tells a story using the imagery and perception of humankind and nature. Yi is known for her bold style of leaving blank spaces within her paintings, emphasizing the beauty of emptiness. Yi studied Korean Art at Sejong University and went to study abroad in Germany. As an artist, Yi gains inspiration from materials such as Jangji (traditional Korean paper) that embody Korean culture.

Yi graduated with a Master’s at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich and is active at home and abroad. In 2012 and 2014, Yi was selected for the Atelier funding program in Munich and was selected for the Bavarian studio funding program in 2016. Yi held solo exhibitions in Zurich, Switzerland in 2020, and Wooson Gallery in 2021. in 2022, Yi held solo exhibitions twice in Munich, Germany.

Yi says her work is distinct in that she never stops exploring. Yi continues experimenting with her work, such as sketching horizontally from the floor or painting without a rough sketch. Yi explains, “By twisting and mixing the principles of drawing and painting, I draw lines not as a boundary, but as a starting point that opens up a new space. With the use of multiple sections, I can tell diverse stories by creating a complex virtual space where the location of the background, insides, and outsides are constantly reversed”

Yi’s unique artistic perspective stems from her experience of living overseas for an extended period and traveling between Korea and abroad for a long time. Yi stated, “By rediscovering my Asian and Korean identity, I sought a coexistence between it and Western style of painting, standing at that fine line where the two intersect, neither aligning with nor excluding one or the other.”

In Kiaf SEOUL 2023 HIGHLIGHT, Yi will present artworks made under the theme of “Coexistence.” Yi explained, “The theme is coexistence, but the theme also encompasses the contradicting concepts of belonging, exclusion, and boundaries. The delicate balance of emotions, symbolized within a diverse environment, complex situations, and structures of conflict speak of empathy and coexistence through a connection of communal subconscious.

Yi added, “I learned the language, sentiment, philosophy, and ideology of Korea from my childhood to adulthood. However, to pursue my dream in a different culture, I had to embark upon an artist’s journey to discover something uniquely my own. It is a precarious process, not unlike walking on a tightrope, but I carefully observe the tremors around me and stay in tune with my surroundings and their influence, at the same time finding my own way. That is what drives me.”

Yi is recently painting works with the theme of “Wild Things” for her second solo exhibition next spring at Wooson Gallery. Yi states, “It’s a wide-ranging theme that evokes dream-like stories in diverse contexts through the subconscious minds.”

Exhibition View ‘junction’ at Wooson Gallery, Daegu in 2021