Hyon Gyon

Hyon Gyon comes from South Korea and lives in Krakow. She creates sculptures, painting installations, and above all, expressive abstract paintings, in which one can find figurative motifs referencing the surrealist tradition. Her works are characterized by spontaneity and intuitiveness; her experiments with the surface of the canvas by applying multiple layers of paint and integrating it with other materials are key. In this way, Gyon reveals to the viewer the sculptural potential of her paintings. Her art is the result of working with the subconscious and translating strong, mostly negative emotions such as deep sorrow or rage into the language of painting. Gyon is also inspired by the practices of Korean shamanism: the creative process is deeply cathartic for her. In the paintings presented at the exhibition, a head, as well as facial elements such as eyes, teeth, and nose can be glimpsed in the expressive blaze of colours and abstract forms. The artist claims that these are neither human forms nor particular, finished motifs, but rather emotions translated into visual language.