Here to There

A solo exhibition by South Korean-born, Oakland-based painter, Younhee Paik: the artist’s surreal, often abstract paintings combine symbolism, celestial imagery, and strong feminist undertones. Paik’s work tells the story of her life, touching on themes of immigration, motherhood, and the artist’s connection to nature. The exhibition features a selection of works made within the last decade from her series “Golden Climb,”“City Awaken,” “Ancient River,” and “Ascending.” The symbols in her work reinforce this idea of movement from one place to another; ladders, stairs, and steps feature prominently in the artist’s “Ascending” series. With work rooted in the natural world, Paik derives much of her imagery from her time living by the ocean as a young child during the Korean War. In Asia, trees are considered to be ancestors, and there is a great respect for nature in Korean culture. Paik’s love and respect for nature were taught to her by her father, and this influence on her imagination can be seen in repeated motifs of water and fish. The exhibition title, Here to There, speaks to a journey -  literal, emotional, and metaphorical. Paik has had notable geographical movement over the course of her life, but the real journey in Paik’s mind is one toward a personal achievement in her art.