Young-Il Ahn Korean-American, 1934-2020
Sunny Afternoon, 1998
Oil on canvas
24 x 30 x 2 in
61 x 76.2 x 5.1 cm
61 x 76.2 x 5.1 cm
6721
Further images
This painting is part of Young-Il Ahn's California Series. In 1966, Ahn moved permanently to the US, settling first in New York, and soon afterward moving to Los Angeles, where...
This painting is part of Young-Il Ahn's California Series. In 1966, Ahn moved permanently to the US, settling first in New York, and soon afterward moving to Los Angeles, where he still lives and works today. His mature work is heavily influenced by California light and beach culture. in this series, we see Ahn responding to the colors and figures of daily life in and around Santa Monica Beach.
Artist Background:
Born in Gaeseong, Korea, in 1934, Ahn is renowned for making intricate, large-scale paintings that explore his relationship with beauty, nature and music. His work is frequently associated with Dansaekhwa, an aesthetic position specific to Korea, which expresses natural processes through a mostly monochromatic palette. As a Korean-born painter working in the U.S., Ahn is unique among Dansaekhwa artists.
Ahn’s work has been featured in many museum shows. But for him,the most important was in 2017, when his monographic exhibition opened at LACMA. The first museum show Ahn saw after moving to the US was at LACMA. It featured the work of Willem de Kooning. About that show, Ahn has said, “I was deeply moved and at the same time greatly challenged. The notion that someday I would have my own LACMA exhibition was simply unfathomable.
Artist Background:
Born in Gaeseong, Korea, in 1934, Ahn is renowned for making intricate, large-scale paintings that explore his relationship with beauty, nature and music. His work is frequently associated with Dansaekhwa, an aesthetic position specific to Korea, which expresses natural processes through a mostly monochromatic palette. As a Korean-born painter working in the U.S., Ahn is unique among Dansaekhwa artists.
Ahn’s work has been featured in many museum shows. But for him,the most important was in 2017, when his monographic exhibition opened at LACMA. The first museum show Ahn saw after moving to the US was at LACMA. It featured the work of Willem de Kooning. About that show, Ahn has said, “I was deeply moved and at the same time greatly challenged. The notion that someday I would have my own LACMA exhibition was simply unfathomable.