Korean Artist Choi Ji Youn

Choi Ji Youn was born in Seoul, Korea in 1976, where she is still living and working, specialising in photography. She graduated from Seoul University of Arts in 1999 where she received a B.A. in Photography. In 2005, she earned a degree in Multimedia at École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France. Her works have been shown at exhibitions in Korea and France, including:

Solo Exhibitions

2007

Taxidermied Images, Duckwon Gallery, Seoul, Korea

2006

Nocturne, CROUS Beaux-Arts Gallery, Paris, France

La mere noire, Hanjin art Centre, Seoul, Korea

2004

Photography, Korean Culture Centre in France, Paris,  France

Group Exhibitions

2010

Main Gauche, Kring Creative Culture Space, Seoul, Korea

2009

SeogyoSixty2009: The game for respect, Gallery Sangsangmadang, Seoul, Korea

2009

Injung Game, KT&G Sang Sang Madang, Seoul, Korea

2008

Opening Reception & Review, Alternative Space Team, Seoul, Korea

2007

Inside Sounds Namsong Museum, Gapyoung, Korea

She says,

Clairoscuro

The settings for my figure photographs are unfamiliar spaces that I have never visited. Like immovable marionettes, the figures remain relaxed, in a subtle tension with the space. The space is like a stage. In my photographs, such space appears somewhat awkward, out of perspective, vague, even weird. The figures have natural but clumsy postures. As in my previous work, their image blurs due to long exposure, to imply their psychological state. These figures appear to gradually adapt to their surroundings, escaping their initial awkwardness.

The memories I have of taking photographs helps me perceive space, regard it as familiar, and enable me to recognize my own psychological space. Through long exposures at night I capture figures and represent psychological states different to those in the daytime. The poses of my figures and certain vague spatial factors enable me to perceive space anew. It is not right to objectify all in our space and time only with our experience. I intend to showcase the space we haven’t perceived and our appearance in this space. I enable viewers to look back on their surroundings by suggesting the burred boundary between reality and non-reality, and uncertainty of experimental memories.

Please enjoy some of Choi Ji Youn‘s work images!

“Ps_45″, lambda print, 120 x 120 cm, 2007

 

“Pp_n21″, lambda print, 120 x 120 cm, 2005

 

“Experimental Conduct II”, lambda print, 120 x 120 cm, 2007

 

“Ps_n37″, lambda print, 120 x 120 cm, 2006





Korean Artist ‘Ji Youn Choi’

Ji Youn Choi takes photographs to express ‘darkness’ which is formless. ‘Darkness’ on her work is not a background but rather it plays a role of the main subject. She exposes moonlight of a garden and the objects from the place for a while and then takes photos. A quadrangular frame increases the imagination of the audience which gives an impression of airtight space. She chooses this frame to show ‘tenseness’ which is observed in the tranquil atmosphere. She tries not to expose ‘distance’ and gives flat images through filling the background structure like buildings.

She says about her work process;

“I take a note when I walk around anywhere, what is on here and there and how is it. After finding a place I choose a person who would be suitable for the place. The place would be the least affected by light and just an ordinary place which is far from being showy or ruinous. My eyes would play a role of an aperture of a camera as it is difficult to measure how much the objects are exposed in dark. I got to have my own way of measuring the amount of light in dark. It takes about 30 mins to take a cut and then try to give different level of aperture. During this process the model should stand up without movement so that he/she does his/her hard work”.

“The reason why I started expressing ‘darkness’ was I wondered about the feeling of being in a dark abyss. I presumed I could see and feel if I die. I was in agony of an absolute darkness, how we could feel it and how I could express by photography. ‘Darkness’ on my work is not the background and rather the main issue. Neither a model nor light should be emphasised in my work. Light from building is less after midnight so I took most photographs in dawn. It was mostly a cloudy morning and set structure which had no light from stars or street lights”.

Enjoy her work images!!

‘Gazing up at the stars’, Lambda print, 80 x 80cm, Paris, 2004

‘MTIP_SE_35′, Lambda print,80 x 80cm, Seoul, 2007

‘Autoportrait’, Lambda print,120 x 120cm, Paris, 2005

‘Ps_45′, Lambda print, 120 x 120cm, Seoul, 2007

‘JP_post 9′, Lambda print, 120 x 120cm, Paris 2005