Mark Your Calendars! WHAT’S HAPPENING AT GALLERY JEEUM

Affordable Art Fair

The focus at Gallery Jeeum this month is the Affordable Art Fair, which is back in town from May 18 to 21 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Hailey Shin, the founder of Gallery Jeeum Hong Kong and her sister Jihye Shin, who heads up Gallery Jeeum Seoul, are preparing to represent six artists at the fair: Hongkongers Yihong Hsu and Corn Shuk Mei Ho, and South Koreans Sangmi Moon, Ham Do Ha, Sung Nak Jin and Yea Ji Lee.

“The organisers of big international art shows like these evaluate galleries beforehand, which means that our gallery has reached a certain level. It is an honour to attend,” Hailey opens with well-deserved pride. “Jeeum’s reputation will be improved by our participation and it’s a great opportunity to spread our name worldwide.”

So how do Hailey and Jihye choose the artists they represent? “One of our aims is to connect Korean artists with new international collectors,” Jihye explains. “We have two directors, which is a big advantage because we can cater to different tastes. Hailey and I are sisters but there are differences in terms of preference. We don’t focus on one style; we focus on promoting different artists and introducing them to a new market.”

At the Affordable Arts Fair this month, Hailey and Jihye are partnering with emerging artists all with very different styles but there are common denominators. “We are attracted to paintings that are dynamic, vibrant, rhythmic, and exhibit scalability,” Jihye says, adding, “Every painting has its own story, and we look for paintings that deliver messages to the viewer, that connect emotionally with the viewer without us having to explain them verbally.”

[PHOTO BY Richard Gordonwww.richardgordonphotography.com.]

YIHONG HSU: SOLO EXHIBITION

Coming off the back of the Affordable Art Fair, Hailey and Jihye are looking forward to presenting Happenings , a solo exhibition by abstract artist Yihong Hsu, at the DB gallery from June 3 to July 2. Of the six artists being represented by Jeeum at the fair, Yihong is the only one who is based in Hong Kong.

So when did Yihong’s involvement with Jeeum begin? “Hailey found me on Instagram by chance, four years ago.” Yihong opens. Ask Hailey what draws her to Yihong’s canvases and she references the bold colours and use of pattern, also their ability to tell a story. “Yihong paints everyday human life – her own experiences, feelings and encounters – using nature’s elements, primarily flowers and floral motifs. She reveals that everything that happens in human life also happens in nature. It’s all about survival, life and vitality.”

“I’ve always loved nature, walking in nature, and I also like watching people,” Yihong explains. “I decided I wanted to draw/ depict different kinds of people, and instead of using actual people I use elements of nature.

“Things that happen in nature are similar to the things that happen in the human world,” Yihong adds. “People, like plants, have different characteristics, different patterns: some grow tall because they get more sunlight and have long roots, some may be hiding seeds inside, some have self-protective spikes. I like talking about different personalities and characters.

“Bigger picture: I want my work to express brightness and happiness. It’s about different species coming together and living in harmony, which is something I see happening in nature.” [PHOTO COURTESY OF Gallery Jeeum.]