An exhibition of recent work by Posoon Park Sung, several of which use an ancient Asian lacquer technique called Ottchil, will open at the June Kelly Gallery, on October 11.  The exhibition, entitled Beyond, will continue through November 12.

While best known for her enigmatic, lyrical and hauntingly ambiguous paintings in the style of magical realism, Park Sung has also explored other ways to visually communicate her life experiences, what she describes as “my spiritual journey, my evolution, my transformation.”

This exhibition will mark the first dual installation of Posoon’s skillfully executed figurative and abstract paintings in acrylic on canvas and her new Ottchil works that incorporate inlays of mother-of-pearl, pigments and other similar materials in the many layers of highly polished lacquer.  Posoon, who is from South Korea, has in the past sought to provide a bridge between Western artistic concepts and Asian sensibility.

In this group of new works, Park Sung continues that approach as she introduces several examples of Ottchil paintings. Ottchil art is said to have originated in China more than 9,000 years ago and is practiced by cutting-edge painters there, as well as in Japan and Korea.  The lacquer is derived from the sap of a tree found only in that part of the world.

Park Sung lives and works in New York City, Tampa, Florida, and Seoul. She received a bachelor’s degree from Hong-Ik University, College of Art in Seoul and a master’s degree from Pennsylvania State University.  Park Sung has participated in numerous one-person and group exhibitions throughout the United States and South Korea.

Her work is represented in many corporate and private collections, including the Ottchelli Museum, Tongyeong, South Korea; the University of Tampa; Benihana Corporation, Miami; Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital, New York; Jinmyeong Girls’ High School, Seoul, and Avon Product Research Development Center, Suffern, New York.

Born Seoul, Korea
Lives and works in Seoul, New York City and Tampa, Florida