top of page

YOUNG JUNE LEW

        REDEMPTION

10 SEP, 2010

Redemption, Young June Lew's fifth solo exhibition at Andrew Bae Gallery, marks a bold step forward as well as a return to her roots in abstraction. Simplified forms appear against a new mosaic background, giving the pieces a classical appearance, as though they were renderings lifted from the walls of an ancient city. Many of these large-scale paintings were inspired by events, both current and historic. The centerpiece of the exhibition is the monumental triptych Legacy of Light. This work arises from the moving story of violins seized during the Holocaust that were later recovered, restored, and assembled for a special 2008 concert in Old City, Jerusalem. In another work, a violin floating in a glass box is Lew's personal homage to the way music survives in us even after the instrument has fallen silent. Elsewhere, the figure of a horse appears almost burned into place amidst the artist's radiating tiles and vigorous gestures, and flowers still sprout from a vase that could sit on a Pompeii table. Collectively, these works are innovations from an artist dedicated to expressing the timeless restorative power of art.

bottom of page