Like a steady river flowing silently in the moonlight, YoungHee Woo’s mysterious oil paintings evoke contemplation and appreciation of the natural and the surreal. Her dreamlike artistic creations stem from her own contemplative eye and philosophical musings on life and death. Painting with deep hues and converging the spiritual and human worlds allows Ms. Woo to explore melancholic ideals while maintaining an appreciation of life. She views life and death not as clashing forces but as interwoven realities where one serves as an extension of the other. Ms. Woo strives to convey that not all that exists will last, and her sibylline art inspires viewers to appreciate life’s nobility and the eventual finality of all things.
Ms. Woo’s art tells stories based on her philosophical senses, unconstrained painting, and deliberate color selection. Women often appear in her paintings as absolute beings who have magical powers, as do elements of the natural world that serve as metaphors for sorrow and loneliness. Her focus on emotions, imagination, and dreams help her bridge gaps between reality, ideals, and vanity in an arresting fashion.
