Name
Poppies, Nude, and Dhaulagiri by Chae Tongyull
Description
For centuries, the Western tradition of female nudes, landscapes, and still-lifes were treated as subjects of adoration to be conquered by artists and consumed by critics, but by literally turning their backs on us to enjoy the natural scenery on their own terms, Chae’s nude portraits subvert the male gaze and reinforce the indifference of Mother Nature toward humanity. This is a common theme in Chae’s “Himalaya” series, and with this in mind, perhaps the flowers in the corner of his frames can be viewed more as tributes to Her power rather than gifts to win Her heart.
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# [Chae Tongyull]
With a color palette as rich as his life story, the works of Chae Tongyull are steeped in literary symbolism and rooted in a deep appreciation for romantic adventure. Born in Busan amidst the Korean War of the 1950s, Chae has traveled the world, eventually seeking his fame and fortune within the U.S. In his twenties, he was the founder of the “Idists” movement, an expressionist group based out of New Orleans. Later, he would move to New York City to become one of the only Asian (and only Korean artists) within the East Village art scene of the 1980s, where he was a contemporary of legends such as Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Since 1993, he has traveled and painted extensively within the Himalayas, exploring remote regions in China, Tibet, Nepal, and India. His works gain inspiration from a diverse range of classic artistic and literary traditions: the prose of Shakespeare, mysterious legends from Korean folklore, the eccentric brushstrokes of Chinese Calligraphy master Pa-Ta-Shan-Jen, Buddhist philosophy, and much more. Because of their rich texture and unique subject matter, his art has been praised and collected for its value in straddling both American and South Korean cultural identities, as well as various places in between. Recently, he is also enjoying working on oil transfer drawings.