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Featured in Motivation, Meditation, Inspiration

November 25th, 2013

This has been a very popular image, and was featured in Motivation Meditation and Inspiration

Image Update

November 15th, 2013

Image Update

I have re shot some of my artworks on a cloudy day and found better results. There has sometimes been an issue with glare on the paint and this has been eliminated with the new photography conditions. I will in future use overcast conditions to shoot my works.

Open Mind

October 21st, 2013

Open Mind

Sometimes I know exactly what I want, I like a clean and simple life that is well organized, but now I realized that this is because of my small world of thought. I must open my mind and experience something different sometimes. What do you think about this? Do you know exactly what you want? How would it make you feel to change your context to something you are not comfortable with. Is it exciting or maybe scarey?

Back to heaven

October 21st, 2013

Back to heaven

This is a short Bio of the man who wrote my favorite poem, and inspired the work that I am now creating...when I post the art I will post the translation of his poem into english.

Ch'on Sang-pyong

When Ch'on Sang Pyong left this world on April 28, 1993, it was a long-rehearsed departure. He had already left the world a first time in 1967, when the agents of the National Security Agency (KCIA) whisked him away to the dreaded cellars of their building in central Seoul. There he was subjected to torture by water, and also by electric-shock applied to his genitals. His name had been found in the address-book of a friend from university days, a friend who was now accused of being a communist spy. After six months in detention, he was finally freed, having nothing to confess except the fact that he had friends. As a result of the electrical torture, the poet would never be able to have children.

Born in early 1930 in Japan, he returned to Korea with his family in 1945 and resumed his interrupted schooling at Masan. The first of his poems to be published was the poem 'River waters' that appeared in the monthly review Munye in 1949, when the poet was still at school. By 1952 he was established as a poet, with recognition from already reputed writers. By this time he was studying at Seoul National University. After finishing his studies there, he worked for a while in Pusan. In addition to writing poems, he had also already begun to compose literary essays that were published in various periodicals. They constitute the other important aspect of his life's work as a writer.

Not very long after being tortured, Ch'on Sang Pyong 'died' a second time. Deeply traumatized by the violence he had undergone, he began to roam about, drinking wildly until at last, in 1971, he disappeared. Months passed, his friends and relatives searched for him everywhere to no avail. They could only conclude that he had died and been buried somewhere anonymously, unknown. In sorrow, they collected the poems they could find, and published a posthumous memorial volume.

Ch'on Sang Pyong's career may have been marked by a series of deaths, it is also a story of multiple resurrections. Suddenly news came that he was alive after all, interned in the Seoul municipal asylum where he had been taken after he had collapsed in the street. The only things he could recall at that time were his name, and the fact that he was a poet. Perhaps the second memory was the thread that kept him alive.

Deeply withdrawn though he was, Ch'on Sang Pyong showed a clear improvement after being visited by Mok Sun Ok, the younger sister of one of his university friends. The doctor told her that she could help him by her visits and that if all went well he might be ready to return to life in the outside world after a couple of months. So Mok Sun Ok came to visit her brother's friend every day, until he was as ready as he ever would be to come back to life in society. Only it was clear that he would hardly be able to fend for himself on his own. He had the heart of a child, and a child's fragility. Ch'on Sang Pyong and Mok Sun Ok were married in 1972, a marriage that endured through twenty years of sometimes terrible hardship and struggle.

The poet's love of company, his simple trust, and his enjoyment of a drink and a smoke, did not answer the question of how the newly-weds were to feed and house themselves. Friends helped Mok Sun Ok open a cafe‚ in a small room in the Insadong neighborhood of Seoul, much frequented by artists, writers, journalists and intellectuals. The name given to the cafe‚ was Kwi-ch'on 'Back to heaven," the title of one of Ch'on's early lyrics. The couple lived in tiny rooms in an old house on the outskirts of Uijongbu, to the north of Seoul.

By 1988, years of drinking had eroded the poet's liver until at last a doctor told Mok Sun Ok that her husband had reached the end of the trail, that he would never recover and she must prepare for the inevitable end. Another doctor, a friend of theirs, with a small clinic in the town of Ch'unch'n, twenty or thirty miles outside of Seoul, decided to try to help. Ch'on Sang Pyong was admitted there and for the following months Mok Sun Ok took the bus every evening to be with him. She has written how, returning to Seoul from her daily visits, she used to pray silently in the bus: 'God! Not yet. Give him another five years, please. Five more years.'

Amazingly, strength returned and the poet was able to leave the clinic to resume a measure of normal living. For another five years. In the space of this reprieve he saw the publication of new volumes of poetry and of essays. Until at last he made his final journey Back to Heaven on April 28, 1993. People opening the door of the Insadong cafe‚ no longer hear the poet's raucous voice call from his customary seat in a corner: 'Come on in, there's room, there's room!' Even when, with fifteen customers, the room was completely full.

Ch'on Sang Pyong enjoyed the rare privilege of surviving to see his poems published posthumously; more than that, his first, 'posthumous' volume of poems was followed by several other volumes published in his lifetime. In 1993 a second, this time truly posthumous, volume of poems appeared.

Sold

October 21st, 2013

Sold

Today I sold two of my works in a juried aquisition to the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. The Diversity 2010 exhibition is on now with one of my works there this show runs from june 17 - july 17 2010. Next year the McMullen Gallery has selected me for a solo exhibition of my works although I don't have the date yet. I will add the event when I know the date.

Flower poem

October 21st, 2013

Flower poem

The long time between the last flowers of fall and while waiting for the flowers of spring reminds me of a poem...

There is no flower that would bloom without being shaken.
All the pretty flowers in the world all bloom while being shaken.
While being shaken, it straightened its stem.
There is no love that would leave without being shaken.
Where is there a flower that would bloom without being whipped?
All the shining flowers in the world all bloom while being whipped.
While being whipped by the wind and rain, the flower petals bloomed warmly.
There is no life that goes by without being whipped.

Artist Statement

October 21st, 2013

Artist Statement

Gates of Nature
Have you ever heard the sound of water running underneath the snow? Have you ever taken the time to notice a flower in bloom?
Recently I noticed how snow melts...Deeply frozen ice melting by the warmth of the earth, sunshine, and soft winds with hard packed frozen snow floating on the melted water over the earth.
It seems to start from the ground, not from the top where it is touched by the air and sunshine...The water always seems to flow underneath the snow.
We have at times difficulties and even anger with people in our lives...When this happens to me I try like the earth to accept them, even apologize and forgive them, while keeping a positive mind. As the sunshine and winds help to melt hard packed snow and ice I try in this way to melt the ice in difficult relationships.
The long time between the last flowers of fall and while waiting for the flowers of spring reminds me of a poem... 

There is no flower that would bloom without being shaken. 
All the pretty flowers in the world all bloom while being shaken. 

While being shaken, it straightened its stem. 

There is no love that would leave without being shaken. 
Where is there a flower that would bloom without being whipped? 

All the shining flowers in the world all bloom while being whipped. 
While being whipped by the wind and rain, the flower petals bloomed warmly. 

There is no life that goes by without being whipped.
poem by Doe Jong-Hwan

When I am absorbed in nature I feel I gain some of it’s wisdom.
“Nature”
Each has his own identity and his way of life. These different personalities come together in harmony; it is our life, and nature. Kyung Hee

Empty your cup

October 21st, 2013

Empty your cup

My husband used to teach Tae Kwon Do, I recall a story I heard him tell some students having a hard time with some new techniques. The story was passed down to him from his master and his master before him I believe it originated in a book. It goes something like this.

A skeptical man once came to a master to learn his art, the man could not seem to master the techniques of the master whatever he tried. He would then tell the master that it wasn't possible to learn these techniques and would have a list of reasons why. At some point the patient master called his student to meet him for some tea. The man joined him and sat down for tea. His master started to pour his tea and when the cup bacame full and started to spill out onto the tray he continued to pour...The student said to him Why are you still pouring the tea? Can't you see the cup is full and the tea is just spilling out? His master said You are like this cup. The student didn't understand and asked what do you mean? The master said Whenever I teach you a technique you tell me all the reasons it is not possible. You are so full of information you can't hold anymore. so like the cup when I try to give you something new it just spills out on the floor because there is no more room for it. If you want to master these techniques you must first empty your cup or nothing new will fit.

Please forgive me if the story is not exactly right but I believe the point does come across here. If we are going to achieve a perfect existence we must empty our cup.

Curriculum Vitae

October 21st, 2013

Curriculum Vitae

Kyung Hee Hogg

Born in Seoul Korea
Second place prize in the National Art Student Competition, Seoul Korea
Graduated from Fine Art, Duksung Women's University, Seoul
Solo Exhibition (Open Studio, Suwon)
Tanata Exhibition(Baekok Gallery, Seoul)
Conception and Beauty Exhibition (Doll Gallery, Seoul)
Solo Exhibition, Winter (Gallery 2000, Seoul)
Expansion of Conception (Huin Gallery, Seoul)
Solo Exhibition (Gallery Seokyung, Seoul)
Gong San Art Festival (Gallery Opening Exhibition) Seoul
Diversity 2010 Exhibition (Visual Arts Alberta Gallery)
"Nature"Solo Exhibition (McMullen Art Gallery) Edmonton
"Nature" Solo Exhibition (The Jake Lewis Gallery) Edmonton
Gates of Nature Solo Exhibition (Sejong Multicultural Center) Edmonton

QR code

October 18th, 2013

QR code

My husband created a QR code for my website that allows people to scan it with their smart phone and go directly to my website.

International exposure

October 18th, 2013

International exposure

This website and many other fine art websites are great for showing our work to many people who may not otherwise get the chance to see it. However I know with my own art and I feel with any art it is impossible to get the same sense or feeling of the work unless you are face to face with the original. What do you think?

Gates of Nature by Kyung Hee Hogg

October 4th, 2013

Gates of Nature by Kyung Hee Hogg

Edmonton mayor Stephen Mandel was at the opening reception of Gates of Nature and really loved my work. It is nice to hear the wonderful comments from someone with excellent appreciation of art. Thank you Mr. Mayor!!

Art Critic

September 30th, 2013

by Young Jay Lee (art critic)

Generally, when we talk of an artist's work, we used to try to comprehend its plastic aspect and placement, as objectively as possible, in the context of the period and history of art. However, in front of Kyung Hee's works, we can soon find that this kind of effort is pointless.
Her painting doesn't go to the world that one can comprehend ordinarily and logically, but is a kind of medium and personality from which she can justify herself. Painting is closely related to her life so that it is so earnest to her. In this context, a kind of analysis in the light of art history hardly has meaning in her painting.

If one iconographically approaches her work simply in the viewpoint of art history that might seem to be the most refined approach, but that would be the most wrong way at least if front of her works. Problems of the actual world seem to be very serious and pathetic to her. Paintings are a kind of way of salvation and a place of refuge to transcend the finitude from such problems and limitations in her actuality.

Her paintings are covered with an endless repetition of different colored dots interacting with each other on the surface. She has done such work for a long time and recently she has been developing endless points on the base of triangle or trapeziod forms. In front of such a gathering of repetative points, we have a fantasy of falling to a new and mysterious world beyond the horizon of our own reality. She is beginning to forget all kinds of sufferings and agonies, with marking points repetitively on the surface. The points she marks go sometimes to the world of new meditation, sometimes to the world of religious sublimity and sometimes to the world of salvation.

She is very introvert and mostly stays in the studio to work rather than mingle in social meetings. It seems that she has a kind of inner adversity in life, and such adversity seems to be freely sublimated on her picture space rather than in actuality. Her paintings should not be isolated as simply paintings themselves. We can enjoy mystic sentiments in her paintings, only if we see the paintings in the context of all of her life.

Finally, Kyung Hee's world of art is closely related to her own inner world. Only through this linkage, her world of art reveals it's mysterious power. Simply looking at her works themselves, we might understand her works less than one tenth. All of her works come out of a complex of mixed ideas in herself which even 'elle ne sait quoi.' It is something that one can't fully understand from her works themselves. In relation to her way of life, her character and unconscious memories in her closed life, her paintings are a kind of refuge and also a space of liberation to her.

Sejong Multicurtural Centre

June 22nd, 2013

Sejong Multicurtural Centre

Sejong Multicultural Centre Grand Opening. A show and sale of my works at the Sejong multicultural centre, A portion of all sales from this show will be donated to the centre. I hope to see you there. 2503 Ellwood Drive SW Edmonton.

Sold

May 5th, 2012

Sold

This painting sold at the opening of my latest show, the couple who bought it really love it. I hope the rest of my show will continue to be successful!

Nature

March 21st, 2012

Nature

I have an exhibition of my original works coming up at jakes gallery in support of the kids with cancer society. it runs from may 3rd to july 3rd 2012. I hope to see many of you there!

Nature

December 8th, 2011

Nature

I sent my work to the gallery and we set up the show...since we finished one day early I can take a rest before the show starts on the 10th, I am really looking forward to this Exhibition since it is the first one I will do in Canada. I hope many people can come to see my work, this show represents two solid years of preparation and now I can share it with everyone. I hope to see you there!

Nature Solo Exhibition

November 23rd, 2011

Nature Solo Exhibition

Hi everyone!

I'm very excited to let you know I have a solo exhibition of my works entitled nature coming up from Dec. 10 2011 to Feb 5 2012 (Opening reception is on Dec. 15 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm) See poster for details. Everyone is welcome and invited! See you there...

Kyung Hee

Nature

February 12th, 2011

Nature

Whenever I am in deep sorrow for the troubles of daily life among many people. I look over a mountain...standing...take time...breath in the tranquil peace coming from it. And I am also united into the calmness of the mountain.

It may be inevitable truth that the litteral "concord" cannot be made. But I find myself in unity with the mountain, the plain and the sea, which finally become one though they exist seperately.

"nature"

Each has his own identity and his own way of life. These different personalities come together in harmony; it is our life, and nature.

Kyung Hee Hogg
From my work diary

Back to Heaven

February 18th, 2010

Back to Heaven

Back to Heaven

I'll go back to heaven again.
Hand in hand with the dew
that melts at a touch of the dawning day,

I'll go back to heaven again.
With the dusk, together, just we two,
at a sign from a cloud after playing on the slopes

I'll go back to heaven again.
At the end of my outing to this beautiful world
I'll go back and say: It was beautiful. . . .


Chon Sang-Pyong

Small world

January 13th, 2010

Small world

We went to a gallery opening the other night and met an artist from Salt Spring Island whose art was appealing to us, after enjoying some conversation with her we were headed home, on our way out we met some good friends of ours just coming in. It turned out that the artist used to live here in Edmonton and was their next door neighbor. We had to go back inside and share this fun fact with the artist, I think we have made two more good friends.
Isn't it really a small world?

Empty Cup Series

January 11th, 2010

Empty Cup Series

I have completed the first in the Empty Cup Series that I am currently working on. I will post the image soon, check back often.