Born in South Korea, artist Sung Jik Yang immigrated to the United States, where he currently resides in Los Angeles. His portraits feature people he knows quite well, operating as a sort of visual diary reflecting their relationships. “Their individual life stories and my interpretation/perception of them, along with the chemistry and bond between my subjects and me, are essential for me to conceptualize and visualize when I portray them,” he says. He uses drawing and painting as processes through which to get to know his subjects better, explaining: “My works demonstrate the physical, emotional, and psychological structures of people around me. I think that the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is when my artistic creation helps people to express their sense of identity. I look for people who bring out an energy and beauty that cannot be explained in words, and I wish to show it through my paintings.”

Sung Jik Yang is represented by Friends Indeed Gallery in San Francisco.

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