J Ryu, My favorite 10 am., Oil & Acrylic on canvas, 91.0x116.8cm, 2022

J Ryu

Artist Statement

 I engage in the task of adding color to everyday life. I lived in Mexico for about 8 years until 2019, where vibrant and vivid primary colors filled the surroundings. Returning to Seoul after 8 years of living abroad, the city was enveloped in monochrome - people dressed in monochrome, monochrome cars, and a sky tinged gray by fine dust. Moreover, with the overlap of the COVID-19 pandemic, the distance between people increased, making the atmosphere even more desolate. Thinking that adding various colors to the monochrome life would make it a bit more diverse and bring new joy, from 2021 onwards, I have been working on observing life more deeply by adding vibrant colors to the monotonous routine and seeking hidden colors that become visible upon closer inspection. 

J Ryu, Empty Armchair, Oil & Acrylic on canvas, 90.9x72.7cm, 2024

J Ryu, Steps of positivity, into everyday life, Oil & Acrylic on canvas, 145.5x112.1cm, 2024

J Ryu, Rose cine outside the window, Oil & Acrylic on canvas, 60.6x72.7cm, 2023