Floating Through Memory

Art Exhibit to heal your soul

On September 28 I had the opportunity to attend the opening reception of the art exhibit held at Gallery L’Onyx, titled “Floating Through Memory” by artists Genie Kim 김진희 and Cécilia Ock-gyu Choi 최옥규. I was also fortunate enough to meet and speak to both artists present at the opening reception.

I was completely enthralled by the beauty of their art and the intricate details present in their works.

Ms. Genie Kim’s artwork wonderfully portrays the relationship between mother and nature and the intricate ways mother earth takes care of us, while Musubu (Japanese word for “knot”) is meant to emphasize how interconnected all of us are on all levels. The artist herself provided an explanation for her work:

"MOTHER TREE

The word 'Mother' to me embodies the idea of 'sacrifice' -- as my own mother certainly embodied for me.
I associate the roots of a tree with the idea of Mother: the source of all nurturing. My mother was the source of my strength, and I still desire to be grounded by her presence.
My mother never had a room of her own. It was sacrificed for us, her children; and that room, with her presence at the centre, was my place of warmth and brilliance, my childhood paradise.
For me, the act of drawing each strand of hair, one line at a time, becomes a personal, regenerative process of delineating the yearning for that lost paradise. Each strand of hair I draw resembles the annual growth rings of a tree. Those rings are the traces and scars of the passage of time... just like the wrinkles around my mother's eyes.
The recognition that came to me fully only after becoming a mother myself -- of the sacrifice given and inherent worth possessed by every mother -- this is the story I wish to tell with my art.

- Genie Kim"

The delicate hues of blue used throughout her paintings sweep you away in a realm of dreams where you feel nothing but inner peace and tranquility. I forgot about all my worries while gazing at her paintings.

Ms. Cecilia Ock-gyu Choi presented life seen through manholes in a series of photographs taken both in South Korea and here in Canada. It is quite extraordinary to see the art behind manholes and what it can symbolize. Ms. Choi combined her photos into color spectrums that almost match Korean traditional patterns, so it feels as if you are looking at a full painting with intricate motifs meant to bring the viewer closer to traditional elements present in the Korean culture.