Kang MJ brings out inner beauty in still life objects

Daegu-based painter Kang Min-jeong chooses damaged fruits and vegetables that don’t meet market standards as subjects of her still life paintings, looking to bring out the hidden beauty and quality of the produce neglected by others.

The mid-career artist, who studied western painting at Daegu’s Keimyung University, showcases her new paintings at the Daegu Art Festival, which kicked off Wednesday and runs through Nov. 5.

Finding inspiration in natural materials, she has devoted over two decades of her artistic career to capturing the most natural beauty in still life paintings layered with social meanings. 

The artist casts light on more fundamental and essential values in life rather than the glitz and glamour of contemporary society.

“I paint damaged crops to express their hidden beauty and in the process also examine the fundamental aspects of our society,” said Kang.

Kang keeps the overall tone natural, restricting intense colors to interpret the honest beauty of objects.

But she adds dynamic details to her still life objects such as rough-surfaced multi-purpose bowls, a wooden basket and a copper kettle.

In “Harmony,” she assembled bowls with a twig with red berries to suggest a harmony of different objects and express how different elements in society can create harmony.

“I used bowls made of natural materials that are used to contain any food from alcohol to rice. It’s just easy to look at them and use them,” said Kang.

“With the beauty of the nature added to it, it somehow works together and creates a beautiful image,” Kang added.

Variety is also a central theme in her paintings featuring random fruits and vegetables such as egg plants and grapes.

“By setting them in a beautiful composition, I tried to link the two different objects and their inner values,” said Kang.

Kang won awards at major art awards in 2011 and is an active participant of a fine art association in Daegu.

By Lee Woo-young  (wylee@heraldcorp.com)