Jeong Yun-kyung’s otherworldly abstract works draw inspiration from the Asian concept of ‘Kyung’ – a reference to harmonic landscapes in which opposing concepts develop and converge into a symbiotic relationship. Rather than focusing on opposing factors, the artist embraces the structure of symbiosis, which marks as a recurring theme throughout her artistic practice.
In Symmetric Jungle, viewers are able to witness the traces and scars of the struggles caused by conflicts between the soft and hard as well as between order and chaos. This is most notable in Jeong’s iconic leaf motif which signifies the collision between nature and culture as well as the East and the West, referencing an attempt to head towards enlightenment and perfect harmony. The present work’s futuristic and ethereal quality further recalls the term ‘Arcology’, coined by the architect Paolo Soleri meaning that a city is based on ecology, where vivid dreams of cojoining humans, cities, nature, and technology intermingle with one another.
Working as a Korean artist in the UK, Jeong’s practice extends beyond Western painting, often incorporating elements and ideas that are closely connected to Orientalism. Her works exude a lofty spirit that encourages viewers to believe even the resulting conflicts will ultimately be embraced by the artist’s ideal world that will come to reality one day.