24 Mar 2017

J Young at Art Paris Art Fair – from March 30th to April 2nd, 2017

J YOUNG and HOUSTON MALUDI
An exhibition 'Face to Face'
on the booth of Mo.J Gallery (F12)
with the kind contribution of MAGNIN-A Gallery

From March 30 to April 2, 2017, Mo.J Gallery is participating for the first time in ART PARIS ART FAIR with a stand dedicated to J Young. Artworks from his series « MOMENT » are put in resonance with Houston Maludi' canvas (from MAGNIN-A Gallery) which create a special connexion between the artistic scene from Korea and Congo.

Korean cultural influences are at the forefront of his work and use of materials. J Young's universe unites the reconciliation of traditional and contemporary techniques, the use of expressive materials, the preponderance of intuition and spontaneity, and the rejection of narrative. It paves the way for visual modernity, contributing to the overall development of contemporary Korean art.

His paintings on metal panels are explosive, overflowing with freedom. He attacks the medium with force, perforating it, hammering it, leaving it on the smooth surface. His gestures conform to his performance – his is moved by an invisible energy, leaving us with to view a dialog with the material. He reinvents himself each day with the conviction that art is essential to our world. This inner force that drives him to create is palpable yet without definition. It, too, leaves its imprint.

'J Young, one of the masters of contemporary Korean art, has a taste for the confrontation between man and nature. The frequent presence of a human-sized stone in the part-pictorial, part-sculptural compositions of this disciple of Lee Ufan are an indication that a work of art is more than a decorative object, it is a sign and a reminder of human presence at the heart of the world. It falls to art to express something beyond form' highlights Paul Ardenne, art critic and historian.

'Moment, a series of artworks begun in 2014, sees J Young take the more radical road of brutal confrontation. Sheets of metal painted smooth (the most recent examples sprayed in automotive paint shops) are literally attacked by the artist. Folded, stamped, sometimes scraped, deformed, as if subjected to sudden assaults, contrast with their initial appearance. This expression of disorder promotes the concept of mishap or catastrophe, in a perspective that would not be denied by Paul Virilio—a philosopher who believes that sooner or later, everything that is created exposes itself to abuse by circumstance. The same applies to paint, as seen by the destructured creations of Moment.

The title of the series itself refers explicitly to a brief moment in time, a short interval, an event. At any time and against all expectation, the perfect piece, an expression of human genius, is left damaged and broken, as if defeated. It is the uncompromising energy of nature, both physical and human, that uses jolts and unexpected movements, without logic, according to rules which can neither be codified nor normalized. Moment – the poetics of impact.'


Houston Maludi only uses Black & White, which emphasises the contrasts and the opposition of the various elements constituting the painting. The line is a central element in his drawings, as he claims : 'In the symbiotic,  the error does not exist, If you know how to use it, it becames a line integrated to the composition of the work'.

Both of them unveil a strong body of work that subscribes to a fundamental search of the Essential. On one side, J Young opens the door to reflect on the world, with sensuality finding its place through a vibrant use of monochromatic color and the interruption of line and relief. And, Houston Maludi seeks truth in form more than in matter which is 'an obstacle to sight'. He pierces her to discover the infinite universe.

'Two different ways to apprehend the relationship to time, through 'memory' for Houston Maludi, accidental for J Young. To each his truth', ends Paul Ardenne.


ABOUT J YOUNG
Born in 1964, J Young (also known by the name of Jaiyoung Jeong) graduated from the Hongik University of Fine Arts in Seoul. He has won numerous awards in Korea, including the Central Art Contest Grand Prix in 1992, as well as the National Art Exhibition Grand Prix in 1993.
In 1990, he founded the 'Golden Appel Group' collective, in which the work of young artists is experienced and presented as a way of introducing Korea's new generation.
His first monographic exposition took place in 1994. Since then, his work (paintings, drawings and installations), has been featured in over forty expositions, notably in Tokyo, Berlin, Munich and New York. He has also participated in international fairs including Art Cologne and Chicago Art Fair. More recently, his work was on display at Art Stage Singapore with Mo.J Gallery.

J Young is part of the permanent collections of several museums and is also featured in numerous private collections in the United States and Asia. His work is exhibited permanently at Mo.J Gallery in Busan (South Korea).
www.jyj1.com

ABOUT HOUSTON MALUDI
Houston Maludi studied at the Beaux-Arts School of Kinshasa. Newly graduated, he begins his own aesthetics research under the influence of Cubist Painters George Braque and Pablo Picasso. Inspired by them he tries to find his own, personal « Cubism » obtained by a perfect harmony between the geometric shapes and called : Monochromique Cubisme Symbiotique Quantique ». 
Art is for him a quest, his name 'Maludi' also means truth. It is not he who makes his pictures, it is his works that shape him and leave an imprint in him. Once his work is completed, he emerges, more mature, and evolves to the rhythm of his artistic production.


ABOUT MO.J GALLERY
Founded in 2010, Mo.J Gallery is directed by the Fan Foundation.
In 2014, the gallery began a collaboration with the artist J Young through the publications of monographs and solo shows.
Mo.J Gallery also partners with American and European galleries to promote the artist's work worldwide.

Frank Stella, Richard Serra, Antoni Tapies, Christo Javacheff, Keith Haring and Damien Hirst are among the artists featured by the gallery, whose aim is to contribute to the influence of Korean art by exhibiting artists such as Lee Ufan and Park Seobo.

Address: 132, Dalmaji-gil 117beonga-gil, Haeundae-gu, Busan, Korea
Tel.: 82 10 5494 0317


ABOUT MAGNIN-A GALLERY
MAGNIN-A is a contemporary art gallery founded in 2009 in Paris by André Magnin and directed by Philippe Boutté. They are acknowledged experts in Contemporary and Modern African Art. Sharp eyed for new talents, the MAGNIN-A gallery represents established and emerging artists. MAGNIN-A works with passion and determination for the promotion and the diffusion of its artists' work on the greatest Arts Fairs and International Exhibitions.

Independent curator since the late 1970's, André Magnin started working on non-western Contemporary Art in 1989 with the historic exhibition 'Magiciens de la Terre' at the Centre Pompidou and at the Grande Halle de la Villette in Paris, exhibition for which he was co-curator. He then became the head of the C.A.A.C.-The Pigozzi Collection, the most important collection of African Contemporary Art. During 20 years he shared his life between Europe and Africa. In 1996, he met Philippe Boutté who became his closest collaborator. He coordinated the activities of the collection for 14 years before taking the direction of the gallery MAGNIN-A.


PRESS CONTACT
AGENCE COMMUNICATION CULTURE
Sylvia Beder + 33 (1) 42 18 09 42 sylvia@sylviabeder.com
Béatrice Martini + 33 (1) 43 20 51 07 sbc@sylviabeder.com