BIOGRAPHY

Hyun Young Yang is an interdisciplinary artist born in South Korea. Yang expands her artistic reach beyond the two-dimensional space of canvas to three-dimensional work, video and interactive art.

Her artistic practice started basically from the point that what we see is not everything. She has more interest in expressing what is invisible, rather than simply drawing what is seen as it is. In this regard, skull images are often seen in her works. She says that underneath the clothes, there are flesh and muscles, and underneath them, there are bones, which are the most basic elements that humans can stand, walk, eat, and laugh.

Such her interest has expanded to subjects such as human essence and identity. This is why she focuses on exploring the meaning of human life in relation to her personal experiences and visualizing it. She does not limit her use of materials and methods in expressing them. It challenges her work to be more diverse and interactive. Her work based on this is an extension of how she sees her life—and as such, all lives. It questions viewers about how they see their lives and how they are going to unfold. Such questions, that is, self-reflection, are induced through interaction with the work by making viewers encounter the instability of life through various materials and methods. For this, she expresses psychological emotional states—the anxiety, doubt, frustration and confusion felt by human beings—with visual strategies such as distortion and reflection.

EDUCATION

education
Master of Fine Arts Painting & Drawing School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA 2024—2026

Bachelor of Fine Arts Drawing & Painting
Minor in Integrated Media
OCAD University, Toronto, ON, Canada 2018—2023

Art Education for the Gifted in Art BlueDot Design Gifted Education Centre, Seoul, Republic of Korea 2003—2004

GROUP EXHIBITION

group exhibition
Girl Dinner Abbozzo Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada Jan—Mar 2024
Outdoor/Indoor Worth Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada Jan 2024
Emerging Now Bau-Xi Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada Jul 2023
Toronto Outdoor Art Fair 62 Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto, ON, Canada Jul 2023
Silent Shout The Ada Slaight Gallery, OCAD University, Toronto, ON, Canada May—Jun 2023
GradEx 108 OCAD University, Toronto, ON, Canada May 2023
Creativity in the Time of COVID-19: Art for Equity and Social Justice Michigan State University, Lansing, MI, United States Apr 2023
Iridescence The Ada Slaight Gallery, OCAD University, Toronto, ON, Canada Jan—Feb 2023
CPAMO: The multi-Arts Festival & Conference The Ada Slaight Gallery, OCAD University, Toronto, ON, Canada Nov—Dec 2022
Metamorphosis OCAD University, Toronto, ON, Canada Nov 2022
Abstract Group Exhibition OCAD University, Toronto, ON, Canada Oct 2022
I AM HERE: Home Movies and Everyday Masterpieces Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada Apr—Aug 2022
SU Spring Festival 2022 OCAD Student Union, In-person & Virtual Event Mar—Apr 2022
Still Life 2021 the John B. Aird Gallery, Online Exhibition Jan ~ 2022
Culture's Compass 2021 Humber's Centre for Creative Business Innovation, Virtual Gallery Jul—Aug 2021
Looking Out While Looking In OCAD University & State University New York Geneseo, Virtual Gallery Jul ~ 2021
SU Spring Festival 2021 OCAD Student Union, Online Event Apr 2021
Time and Tide Art Gallery 118, Online Exhibition Apr—May 2021
First Year Drawing Exhibition The Ada Slaight Gallery, OCAD University, Toronto, ON, Canada Nov 2018

COLLECTIONS

collections
Holiday Collection Toronto Outdoor Art Fair, Toronto, ON, Canada Dec 2023

PUBLICATIONS

publications
"Pinwheel" SU Spring Festival, OCAD University Digital Catalogue, p.21 May 2021

ARTIST TALKS / PRESENTATIONS

collections
Outdoor/Indoor Worth Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada Jan 2024

AWARDS / GRANTS

awards
Toronto Outdoor Art Fair Worth Gallery Award Jul 2023

OCAD University Eric Freifeld Award May 2023

OCAD University TOAF Career Launcher Award Mar 2023

OCAD University Bursary for International Students Dec 2021

OCAD University Catherine Daigle Scholarship Jul 2021

The National Student Art Competition of Korea University Gold Medal Jun 2007

EXPERIENCE

Teaching

experience
오늘 Art Academy Seoul, Republic of Korea Part-Time teaching assistant 2016—2017
아틀리에 Art Academy Seoul, Republic of Korea Part-Time teaching assistant 2010
홍익 Art Academy Seoul, Republic of Korea Part-Time teaching assistant 2008—2010
동그라미 Art Academy Seoul, Republic of Korea Part-Time teaching assistant 2008—2009


Painter

experience
더베스트 art event company Seoul, Republic of Korea Part-Time mural & face painter 2012—2015


Commisions

experience
Public commission 서울에너지지킴이, Seoul, Republic of Korea Banner design for a non-governmental organization 2015
Private commission Seoul, Republic of Korea Logo design for a bodybuilder business card 2014
Private commission Churro Ville cafe, Seoul, Republic of Korea Charcoal drawing mural, Interior 2009
Using Format