OONJU CHUN
can we all get along?
May 15 - July 24, 2021
Carper Contemporary’s spring exhibition for Oonju Chun features a selection of abstract paintings by the Eden, Utah artist that allow for a release from societal tension with free flowing movement, color, and form devoid of underlying narratives or statements.
“I am not trying to be understood as an artist,” says Chun. “When I walk up to a blank canvas, what happens is a spontaneous visual reaction with each stroke of line or color.” Chun’s process aligns with that of the Abstract Expressionists, particularly Joan Mitchell and other women artists of the movement, as she values immediacy, spontaneity and pure emotion when painting. Chun’s heritage is another profound influence for her work; she has lived in the United States for over 40 years but remains strongly rooted in her Korean identity. “While I identify with the quiet minimalistic sensibilities of Eastern aesthetics, I am always drawn to the rawness of particular Western art. My work inherently merges these two influences,” she states.
The co-mingling of cultural aesthetics, honest abstraction, and raw emotion present in Chun’s paintings provide a space for relief and universal connection in a time when stress and anxiety run high. Can we all get along? is a liberating body of work for both artist and viewer.
Public Opening: June 4th, 6-8pm, 529 25th Street, Ogden UT
OONJU CHUN // One Spring Day, 2015, oil on canvas, 48” x 48”,
OONJU CHUN // Double Facial Recognition, 2014, oil on canvas, 58” x 80”
OONJU CHUN // Que Sera Sera, 2018, oil on canvas, 52” x 42"
OONJU CHUN // Sweet Scent, 2017, oil on canvas, 56” x 56”
OONJU CHUN // Mediating the Tension, 2015, oil on canvas, 54” x 38”
OONJU CHUN // Lover’s Quarrel, 2017, oil on canvas, 58” x 46”
OONJU CHUN // 2am Pondering, 2016, oil on canvas, 60” x 50”
Oonju Chun // Another Small One, 2021, oil on canvas, 36" x 36"
OONJU CHUN // Surprise, 2021, oil on canvas, 36” x 24”
OONJU CHUN // Cashmere, 2021, oil on canvas, 32” x 32”
