The Sleep - Oil & Acrylic on Canvas 36'' x 29''

Joo Han’s paintings are rich with the conflicts, exclamations, and reconciliations that characterize daily life. Her energetic palette and labyrinthine imagery turn each painting into a singular, visceral experience. Swirling symbols are weighted down by geometric shapes; bodies grow into gardens; nature becomes one all-encompassing celebration; spirits become visible. Yet its chaos is what makes Han’s work heartening. What we hold familiar is thrown into turmoil, but our imagined realities become vivid.

Influenced by Korean folk painting, Han openly embraces her heritage, telling metaphorically rich stories about human perception. She is interested in the spaces between states of consciousness and she invites us to witness the sensorial explosions that occur when imagination collides with the outside world.

The human body is a constant presence in Han’s work. Whether we recognize limbs in her churning imagery, or see her painted marks working together like organs, Han is ultimately asking us to let our senses take over. She is asking us to feel life’s mysteries even if we cannot understand them.

Joo Han received a BFA and MFA from Seoul National University in Korea and an MA in Painting from Purdue University in Indiana. Since 1997, she has exhibited in Korea, Japan, and the United States.

www.Art-Mine.com/ArtistPage/Joo_Han.aspx