Outdoor Warrior

This week’s Cool Young Artist is a 34 year old artist who lives and works in Soul, South Korea. She is a 2001 graduate of Sungshin Women’s University in Seoul where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts in Sculpture. Jin Young also earned a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts in Sculpture in 2005 from the same university. Her artistry appears to be both designer toy and figure sculpture, featuring see through figures of people – usually allowing the background to appear through a part or parts of the body using a clear glass appearance. The extremely unique art portrays a family living in a house, but somberly “trapped by society” within the very limited confines of the house.

In somewhat broken and unconventional English, a website “biography” of Jin Young describes her artistry more than the artist. The inner world of the family is closely examined as exposure to the outside world is “refused” in an effort to not expose their “pretentious look as a friendly family.” The alienated family is depicted as having an uncomfortable meeting with guests attending family holiday events. The children are portrayed suppressing their emotions, which even extends to the family dog. The description of the art is sometimes difficult to interpret, which the art itself may do more clearly, depending on the observer.

To cover and conceal the sad emotions of the family, Jin Young uses wall flowers, clothes and shadow effects. However deceptively, the flowers serve as a decoration welcoming the family’s guests; but they also serve to divert the observers’ attention away from the melancholy demeanor on the faces. From image to image the artist appears to preserve the solemn facial expressions despite the “bright atmosphere” created by the flowers.

Concealing Emotions

The title of the biography describes the artistic pieces succinctly with the phrase, “Hidden inner worlds come to light.” However, from the information given, it was not clear whether or not all of the artists work is based on this one family theme. Here are a few more family faces:

 

Family Faces

From 2004 to 2008 Jin Young had solo exhibitions and selected group exhibitions in Korea, Japan and England. Exhibition locations included the Union Gallery in London, the Ami and Kanoko Gallery in Osaka and the Kumho Museum, the Sungkok Museum, Gallery Zandari, the Seoul Museum of Art and the Kimi Art Gallery in Seoul, South Korea.

Thank you for reading about this week’s Cool Young Artist!

In every respect, this young Ukrainian girl, Kseniya Simonova, is a Cool Young Artist. Her eight minute video from YouTube demonstrates her talent. Using a giant light box, measuring approximately three feet by four feet, she transforms the white or light colored sand into amazingly real and detailed images. She does this to music as she draws dramatic images of the invasion and occupation of her country from 1941 to 1945.

Her demonstration is before a live audience as she tells an entire story of the invasion and occupation. No other tools are used other than the sand and both her hands, often simultaneously. The images almost magically appear, including small details of people’s faces and landscape scenes as well as depictions of decorative sculptures, masks, sky, clouds and many other exquisite images.

During the demonstration the audience sometimes gasps at the reality of Kseniya’s creations and their destruction as she wipes away one beautiful creation either in preparation for another or through gracefully transforming the image into an entirely different storybook scene, image or new creation of artistry.

While watching Kseniya gracefully do her “sand painting,” you cannot help but think about whether or not slick, clever and smooth video editing was used. Detailed images often appear under her fingers, palms or fists as she manipulates the sand with amazingly smooth, graceful movements, complementing and almost in time with the music; appropriately, her art is also called “sand animation.” I concluded that video editing was not used; however, I have no way of verifying this.

This Ukrainian artist won the “Ukraine’s Got Talent” competition to show both her imagination and her “sand painting” skills. Truly, she is a “Cool Young Artist”!

Kseniya Simonova is only the second cool young artist to be featured. Do come back next week when we will feature another unique artist, who could come from anywhere in the world. Also, if you know of a cool young artist you would like to see featured here, please let us know. Maybe you will be inspired to learn how to become an artist like one of these Cool Young Artists!

Thank you for reading!

This week’s Cool Young Artists will feature the first of many individual artists. His name is Steve Uren, owner of Steve Uren Studios in Marquette, Michigan, which is in the central Upper Peninsula of the state. Inspired by his grandfather, Steve is a woodworker, specializing in custom created furniture and artwork.

Steve Uren Studios was formed in 2001 and was originally named Birchwood, reflecting the name of his family’s camp. Originally a part-time hobby, Steve’s love for woodworking soon turned into a full-time business. In addition to showing and selling his products in art shows and select galleries on the east coast and the mid-west of the United States, he does commission work. By referrals and correspondence using email and phone, orders are taken and based on the customer’s description of the project and/or a picture of the designated space. Costs are determined by the design, the woods used and the customer’s budget; and he says, “All designs can be based on your budget.”

All of Steve’s creations are unique, truly one-of-a-kind pieces of functional wood art. There will never be another piece of wood furniture made exactly like any of those created by Steve Uren Studios. He also uses a carefully selected pack and ship company to keep shipping costs to a minimum.

Steve’s created works of wood art and furniture include desks, tables, cutting boards, bureaus, night stands, chairs, ornamental boxes and other works of art. From his website, here are a few of Steve’s unique creations:

Steve specializes in custom made woodworking according to the customer’s designs and specifications. More examples of his work can be found at SteveUren.Com.

Other Cool Young Artists will be featured randomly. If you were inspired by Steve Uren’s work and his creations, do let us know. A wide variety of artists will be featured here in the future. So check back next week. And thank you for reading!

All graphics and text were published with permission from Steve Uren Studios.

This week we will describe several organizations for “Cool Young Artists.” Small and large, these have inspired and are inspiring hundreds, thousands and even millions of young artists in the U.S. and around the world.

“Craftworks at Cool Spring” features an 81-acre nature preserve near Charles Town, West Virginia. It is described as a “home for art, nature and sustainability.” They provide “after school” classes for local young artists ages 6 to 9, which includes paint, pastels, collage and pencil creations. They teach about famous artists and art styles and help students create their own “masterpieces.” There are similar classes for ages 10 to 13 designed for the more serious artists who learn new styles and techniques. A $5 materials fee is charged and the next classes, which start each January, among other starting times. Their well designed and easily navigated website features blog opportunities, membership pages, email updates and a “Jefferson County Arts and Culture Calendar” describing local artistic and related events. Its a “cool” site and facility!

On its website, the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers describes the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization as “the longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in the U.S., and the largest source of scholarships for young artists and writers.” (The link is not associated with the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.) With a legacy back to 1923, the Alliance has encouraged over 13 million students and recognized more than 9 million young artists. The organization has also made available over $25 million in awards and scholarships.

Would you like a quite extensive listing of famous modern artists, famous contemporary artists, art styles and art techniques, with a brief description of each one? How about a current description of “Art News” from all over the world? Check out Modern & Contemporary Artists and Art. This site provides a huge variety of information and is easily navigated.

The 24th Street Theatre is a unique and hybrid arts organization providing free after school arts enrichment programs, an outreach program for at-risk teens, art teacher training programs, gallery exhibits and much more. The organization strives to engage people of all ages, races and income levels. It strives for thought-provoking and relevant cutting-edge art from such diverse forms as professional development teacher workshops to arts education school workshops to musical concerts and seasonal theatrical productions.

Finally, Cool Young Artists came across the Young Artists for Haiti featured by CoolSpotters.Com. This is a Canadian movement to engage young musicians to help with the ongoing effort supporting Canadian charities as they help the people of Haiti to overcome the devastation of the January 12, 2010 earthquake. Only a month after the devastation, 50 of Canada’s best and brightest artists met and produced a rendition of the renowned hip hop artist K’naan’s “Wavin’ Flag,” which included specific lyrics for Haiti with proceeds going to Free the Children, War Child Canada and Word Vision Canada. Their website features profiles of nine “Young Artists for Haiti,” including Lights, Justin Bieber, Emily Haines, Deryck Whibley, Kardinal Offishall, Pierre Bouvier, Nelly Furtado, K’Naan and Avril Lavigne.

Cool Young Artists will also feature articles on individual artists and their work in coming articles. Let us know what you would like. As always, your comments and questions are most welcome. Thank you for reading!