Artist Hyun-sook Jeong is a singular figure who has successfully expanded Jage (Mother of Pearl), a traditional Korean material, into the realm of contemporary art. Trained in Western painting and having studied abroad, she primarily utilizes Jage and crystal, continually reinterpreting the inherent beauty and traditional value of these materials into a contemporary painterly language. Her work, often framed by the theme “The Time of Mother of Pearl, The Narrative of Light,” is dedicated to constructing a unique world of form by delicately visualizing the layers of time and the shimmering brilliance emitted by the material itself.

 

Hyun-sook Jeong’s 20-year creative journey showcases a broad spectrum of light and emotion contained within the Jage medium, ranging from the retrospective forms of the early 2000s to her more recent minimalist compositions. The meticulously finished texture of the Jage, completed over long hours by the artist’s hands, transcends simple ornamentation, transforming into a profound painterly language that captures the traces of memory, emotion, existence, and absence. Having held 47 solo exhibitions and participated in over 70 art fairs both domestically and internationally, her continuous artistic experimentation and evolution stand as a clear and compelling example of the harmonious convergence of tradition and modernity.

 

 

Hyun-sook Jeong, Before and After, 90cm x 90cm, acrylic and mother of pearl on canvas, 2022

 

 

Hyun-sook Jeong, Before and After, 130cm x 130cm, mother of pearl on canvas, 2024

 

 

Hyun-sook Jeong, Before and After, 90cm x 73cm, oil and mother of pearl on canvas, 2025