The Kate Oh Gallery presents the Successor of national intangible heritage #48, Dancheong by Sunhee Yang exhibition.

In a city where art is often dominated by Western narratives, the Kate Oh Gallery opens a space for fresh perspectives, usually allowing New Yorkers to engage with the intricate, philosophical, and deeply resonant curation of Korean artists. While the space of the gallery may be modest, its approach goes far beyond its square footage. By fostering a personable cultural exchange, I feel not only introduced to new talents, but also broadened by a new understanding of Korean contemporary art’s unique synthesis of history, modernity, and spiritual inquiry. Through exhibitions like Sun Hee Yang’s, it continues to challenge and enrich the artistic landscape of New York.

At its core, Yang’s art presents a paradox: it is at once exuberantly modern and deeply rooted in Buddhist tradition. The rich, saturated hues invite immediate sensory delight, while the symbolic depth of her compositions offers space for contemplation. Her work reminds us that in a world of constant visual stimulation, there remains room for reflection, for wonder, and for the quiet endurance of ancient wisdom in new forms.

Sun Hee Yang’s paintings illuminate a fascinating intersection between traditional Buddhist aesthetics and contemporary pop art. Through works such as A bouquet of happy flowers #1, A bouquet of happy flowers #2, and Five-colored azure dragon, she employs vibrant color palettes reminiscent of K-pop’s visual dynamism while embedding spiritual themes that trace back to Korea’s rich Buddhist heritage.

The lush, almost neon hues in A bouquet of happy flowers #1 and #2 recall the Buddhist concept of impermanence—flowers, often a symbol of fleeting beauty, appear suspended in vivid animation, as if resisting time itself. This tension between ephemerality and hyper-saturated presence speaks to the Buddhist understanding that reality is both transient and vibrantly alive in every passing moment. Yang’s approach transforms the traditional still-life motif into something pulsating with energy, a celebration of both the present and its inevitable dissolution.

In Five-colored azure dragon, the palette and composition suggest a fusion of Buddhist mythology with the spectacle of modern pop imagery. The dragon, a creature often associated with wisdom and protection in Buddhist and East Asian traditions, appears almost weightless, dancing within a field of electric blues, pinks, and greens. This reimagining of a sacred symbol in a contemporary pop art framework raises profound philosophical questions: Does spirituality retain its depth when wrapped in modern aesthetics? Or does the blending of old and new create a more accessible, even democratic, form of transcendence?

Yang’s work thus operates at the intersection of past and present, the sacred and the commercial, the fleeting and the eternal. Her art invites us to see Buddhist thought not as an artifact of the past but as something alive, evolving, and—like a pop song—capable of reaching across time and culture.

After perusing her paintings, I came to see a certain intriguing synthesis of pop and spiritual aesthetics, and I am tempted to say that Sun Hee Yang’s work speaks to a broader cultural phenomenon: the transformation of tradition in the contemporary world. Her paintings resonate within the global K-wave, where the bold vibrancy of K-pop culture coexists with deeper historical and philosophical undercurrents. In this sense, Yang’s art does not merely celebrate color and form; it offers a meditation on how cultural identity, spirituality, and popular aesthetics can coexist in a single, striking visual language. This is perhaps the most intriguing aspect of her oeuvre: the being within nonbeing---the K wave within the materiality of High Capitalism is like a refreshing ocean breaking ashore.

A final word I want to add is an observation about this exhibit's place in the bigger picture of the gallery. Located on the Upper East Side of New York City at 31 East 72nd Street, the Kate Oh Gallery has for years served as a bridge between tradition and innovation, regularly showcasing the work of contemporary Korean artists within an intimate space. Undoubtedly, Sun Hee Yang’s exhibition is part of this ongoing mission, bringing the depth and dynamism of Korean art to new audiences, and we art connoisseurs should be grateful for their treating us to such delectable gems in an age of multiculturalism and global dialog. Hence, the audience is offered a macroscopic insight here: we see Yang's work not as pieces of a single exhibit, but as tantalizing brushstrokes on a broader canvas---of a direction, and of a multicultural oeuvre.

(Text by Albert Yang)