▲ Artist Byeongrak Yoon

 Watching his apple paintings, you are almost likely to confuse the artificial apples with real apples. Artist Byeongrak Yoon is most famous for his apple paintings drawn in hyperrealism in 3 dimensional frames. At the 19th solo exhibition, held at the Rho Gallery, Insa-dong, from 16th to 31st October, he is laying out a new level of display by filling up the whole space with apple installations. If I dare presume, the apples might pop out of the famous 3 dimensional frames to the extension of space. 

 “If I put a big apple in the air, we might feel a sense of transcendence like we are standing in the universe. It is a different dimension when we look a small apple on the table. If you look at the apples in detail, you will find full of yellow dots like pores and these are the things that confuse your eyes with twinkling stars in the universe. They are mysterious, beautiful and vital” hinted Yoon.

 Some say that red apples symbolize wealth and abundance due to the energy the red color exhales. We are not sure whether this might be the reason that people who have appreciated Yoon’s apple paintings feel positive, happy or joyful. 

 “I started to paint objects on modified canvas from 2002. I got bored of painting things on 2 dimensional canvas so I wanted to break the mould. I came up with this idea of ‘expansion of space’ at first. Then the idea made an advance and ‘apple’ popped up in my head; thus started my career as the apple artist.”

 “It is true that I tried to draw apples as real as possible but that doesn’t mean I intended hyperrealism. It just happened whether it is hyperrealism or 3 dimensional frames or being called as the apple artist. But there was one thing I clearly intended: breaking the mould.”

 Yoon was born and grew in Yeongju City famous for apple. He discovered his talent in art when he won a prize at an art competition in his second grade in elementary school. He said he would never forget receiving the prize in front of all students. In his graduating year at Kyungpook National University, he was listed for the grand prize at the Grand Art Exhibition of Korea but received the special prize for the reason he was still a young artist. 

 “Diligence is my asset” says Yoon. Since the first solo exhibition sponsored by the Gogeum Art Research Society, he has never put a stop in creating and displaying works. Autumn next year, he is scheduled to have an exhibition in Hong Kong.