Creativity takes courage. – Henri Matisse

It is Thursday, March 11, 2021. I am rushing to get to Blooming Flower Shop to pick up a plant I ordered for my friend in celebration of the opening day of her art exhibition located at the Arts Center in downtown Pohang City, South Korea. Thankfully, the shop owner (who happens to be a good friend and my flower arranging class teacher) decides she wants to drive there together. Once at the center, we present the plants, congratulate the artist, Yang Yun Jeong, and begin our journey through her exhibition titled “Are You Okay?” 

When you walk through the exhibition, you can’t help but feel a sense of joy and sorrow all mixed together. It makes perfect sense when you read her story, which is presented at the beginning of the exhibit and serves as the inspiration for her gallery. Each piece of art is a part of her journey from a debilitating illness, relationship and family struggles, to redemption and healing. It is a journey of deep suffering that begins internally until she becomes brave enough to let go of her anger, hurt, and fears allowing the light of her God to shine through, exposing vibrant colors, blooming flowers, and beautiful creatures in an explosion of pure joy!

Her paintings are like a walk through a healing garden. You can feel her pain and her joy while carefully studying the imagery in her art. Vibrancy, laughter, dancing, and hope, so much hope, are the feelings you leave with once you have completed the journey through “Are You Ok?” What a joy to have been welcomed to experience Yang Yun Jeong’s extraordinary life through art.

If you live in the Pohang City, South Korea area, you need to visit this exhibition and meet the artist in person. Her paints are also available for purchase. I personally like her art so much that I bought several pieces myself. I absolutely can’t wait to sit on my comfy couch, admire a colorful wall filled with snapshots of my dear friend’s life, while I savor a fine cup of tea.  She is fiercely chasing life, and I’m proud to say that she is learning to suffer well.

For information about the artist:

Yang Yun Jang

010.4442.0455

imyuon@hanmail.net