While observing the works of Byung-Hoon PARK (born in 1967 in Korea, living in Paris since 1992), I was struck by the intensity of the colors, the contrasts that inevitably evoke the Latvian artist born in the Russian Empire, Mark Rothko—in particular, a sunrise that echoes a yellow-on-blue Rothko composition. But still—why such emotion?
Of course, Byung-Hoon Park uses a more varied palette. His Sunrise seems to rise over a sea? A land? Covered in red stains...
And suddenly, I realized I was looking at the Ukrainian flag, inverted, faded, drained, and bloodied. This painting by Byung-Hoon PARK dates from 2017, as do others from 2021 presented by Artskoco, but it resonates intensely with current events, burning and tragic. By sheer coincidence, the Ukrainian blue and yellow, the red of fire and blood, and charred black all collide within the energetic acrylic palette of Byung-Hoon Park.
“Homecoming”, the title of the exhibition, suddenly takes on a poignant meaning: a return, dead or alive—but to what land? I show it to you here as it speaks to me today: a Homecoming, a return to the land, to the land of Ukraine, once again drinking the blood of its children.
Everyone will find harmonies that resonate with their own life, their own experience. I’ve shared mine with you, but the paintings do not deliver the artist’s intent—they simply reveal our emotions, as viewers.