Blue and White Impressions II
Hyobin Kwon

In 2007, Hyobin Kwon started studying blue and white porcelain decoration.  

To create traditional blue and white pieces, ceramists painted designs on white porcelain bodies, using writing brushes with cobalt as a coloring material. They then applied a transparent glaze to the bodies and fired the pieces at high temperatures, which allowed the blue and white decoration to come into being.  During Kwon’s doctorate course, she studied methods for researching the blue and white porcelain of China and Korea. She looked at the divisions of historical periods of blue and white porcelain and how the styles related to the paintings of the same period; analyzed the works of art and the creators; analyzed the process of creating the works of art; analyzed the collectors of the ceramics; and looked at its practical use. 

Drawing from historical documents, records and pictures of cultural relics, Kwon’s paintings analyze the art and history of blue and white porcelain in China and Korea. Through comparisons of China and Korea’s blue and white porcelain, she distinguishes differences between the two countries’ aesthetic consciousnesses and artistic characteristics, and other relevant questions.

Kwon advocates for the blending of the traditional arts of ceramics and painting, especially the combination of blue and white porcelain and freehand brushwork painting, in the hope of making the space for development of blue and white porcelain even more varied.

In this solo exhibition, Kwon will exhibit carefully selected blue and white masterworks that she has studied, and pieces that she has created, over the period of 10 years. Paintings and ceramics will be presented together.

About the Artist
Hyobin Kwon is a New York-based artist specializing in Asian calligraphy and brush paintings. Born and raised in South Korea, Kwon received her BFA in calligraphy from Kei Myung University in 2000. She then moved to China to pursue her MFA and PhD at China Academy of Art. She was the first foreigner to obtain a Doctorate in Chinese bird and flower brush painting in the art history of China. Her works have been exhibited internationally in cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Hong Kong, Beijing, Hangzhou and Seoul. 

At present, Kwon is a Chairman of the Asian Painting Subcommittee within the Korean-New York Artists Association; Chairman of the Asian Painting Subcommittee for the Korean American Cultural Arts Foundation (KACAF); a member of the Korean American Contemporary Arts, Ltd; a Chashama Studio Residency Artist; New York Korean Cultural Center (KCC) Art Curator; a lecturer at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC CUNY); a lecturer at Sarah’s Art School; a lecturer at The Remnant Presbyterian Church; a painter at the Research Institute of Chinese Painting Art of West Lake, Hangzhou China; a member and translator for West Lake International Artists Association; a member of the Korea Literary Painting Association; and also writes for Calligraphy Culture magazine, Korea.

For more information about Hyobin’s work, please visit her website at www.hyobinkwon.com or follow her on Facebook. She can also be contacted at rosedoorart@gmail.com to schedule an appointment for viewing the show outside of the posted hours.