Art is like a box of chocolates. At least this is how Los Angeles-based artist Rimi Yang feels about her work. Ethnically Korean, yet born and raised in Japan, Yang says that while she respects artistic tradition in various cultures immensely, it’s important for her to feel like she’s operating outside of the proverbial box.
Twilight Garden, oil on canvas, 48 x 60"
“I always wonder who I am, even [when I was] in Japan,” she says. “In a different situation, I could be this or that. I’ve always felt like I’m not Japanese in Japan...until I went to Korea for the first time when I was young...and then I felt I really appreciated Japanese culture.” She continues, “I was always curious...When I came to the United States, looking at other minorities, I’m pretty sure they were going through a struggle. In my case, I was [already] used to being a minority in Japan. Somehow, I view myself as me, more than anything.”
Sound of Joy, oil on canvas, 60 x 48"
Beautiful Look, oil on canvas, 20 x 16"
This attitude of individuality, a sense of self that is unrestrained by cultural divides or labels, flows naturally into Yang’s artwork, with imagery of graceful female figures and a style that teeters between realism and abstraction. “This reflects in my art because it’s like a chocolate box, I’m reflecting different parts of myself in my art,” she says, laughing as she directly references the movie Forrest Gump. “For me, it’s important to do the chocolate box thing...For me a static way of thinking could be dangerous.”
Flower Dance, oil on canvas, 48 x 36"
Everything from Chinese empresses, to Japanese women in kimonos, to figures in Western garb reminiscent of the Victorian era can be found in Yang’s work; it all just depends on what she feels best suits the girl in that particular painting. An upcoming exhibition at Blue Rain Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, showcases new paintings of Yang’s playful yet ethereal compositions. A standout piece in the show is Twilight Garden, depicting a woman in a patterned kimono surrounded by spiraling flowers and a flowing stream. The piece was inspired by a trip Yang took to a Japanese garden and temple. She adds that in this work, and in all of her work, she loves to play with layers. They add a sense of freedom and dynamism to the composition.
“It’s playful,” she says. “I’m lucky, somehow life tells me to paint, and so I just keep painting.” —
Blue Rain Gallery 544 S. Guadalupe Street • Santa Fe, NM 87501 • (505) 954-9902 • www.blueraingallery.com
Powered by Froala Editor
