Soonja Kang: Modesty (虛心)
Able Fine Art NY Gallery
Feb. 26, 2023 - Mar. 4, 2015
The Korean word “Huh-Shim(허심-虛 心)” is translated as modesty in English, though it is more associated with an attitude of behavior, manner or appearance intended to avoid impropriety in English word. Soonja Kang’s usage Huh-Shim, in which she uses as a title in all of her paintings, differs in a sense that it has more to do with a state of being in emptying out your mind. Kang attempts to portray an aesthetic centered on the acceptance of transience and the fine balance between imperfection and perfection. In Buddhism or Taoism tradition, emptiness points to an inner realization or state of mind characterized by simplicity, quietude, patience, frugality and restraint. It is an emotional or psychological stance associated with the lack of worldly desire, and includes also the actions arising out of this state of mind. Soonja Kang has delved into the extraordinary world of her own spirituality and she hopes the viewers can have glimpse of the Huh-Shim.