Young Il Ahn
Unexpected Light
25 Feb 2017 - 21 Jan 2018
Young-Il Ahn
Water BLRG 16 (detail), 2016
Oil on canvas
64 × 52 in. (162.56 × 132.08 cm)
Courtesy of the Artist and Susan Baik/ Baik Art, © Young-Il Ahn, photo by Michael Underwood
Water BLRG 16 (detail), 2016
Oil on canvas
64 × 52 in. (162.56 × 132.08 cm)
Courtesy of the Artist and Susan Baik/ Baik Art, © Young-Il Ahn, photo by Michael Underwood
YOUNG IL AHN
Unexpected Light
25 February 2017 – 21 January 2018
Korean-American artist Young Il Ahn was born in 1934 in Gaeseong, historically known as the capital of the Goryeo dynasty (912–1392) and geographically located in North Korea today. While acknowledged as a child prodigy, Ahn carried out his most prolific work in Los Angeles since his arrival in the U.S. in 1966. Since then, Ahn’s works have consistently focused on his interest in the local surroundings rather than the country he left. This exhibition showcases many works from his best-known series, Water, which was inspired by a near-death incident on the Pacific Ocean in 1983, as well as his most recent works. The Water series marks a notable shift in Ahn’s style from semi abstraction to complete abstraction, which has continued to define his style to this day.
This exhibition marks the first-ever introduction of a Korean-American artist at LACMA, highlighting the ever expanding diversity and realities within the ethnic Korean population in Los Angeles.
Unexpected Light
25 February 2017 – 21 January 2018
Korean-American artist Young Il Ahn was born in 1934 in Gaeseong, historically known as the capital of the Goryeo dynasty (912–1392) and geographically located in North Korea today. While acknowledged as a child prodigy, Ahn carried out his most prolific work in Los Angeles since his arrival in the U.S. in 1966. Since then, Ahn’s works have consistently focused on his interest in the local surroundings rather than the country he left. This exhibition showcases many works from his best-known series, Water, which was inspired by a near-death incident on the Pacific Ocean in 1983, as well as his most recent works. The Water series marks a notable shift in Ahn’s style from semi abstraction to complete abstraction, which has continued to define his style to this day.
This exhibition marks the first-ever introduction of a Korean-American artist at LACMA, highlighting the ever expanding diversity and realities within the ethnic Korean population in Los Angeles.