Youjin Yi – Unprompted

“To fully grasp my art, one must engage with the essence of my identity and heritage, recognising that my Korean background is not merely a static influence but a dynamic force that intertwines with the diverse cultural strands I have woven into my life’s tapestry. In my creations, I, Youjin Yi, bridge disparate worlds, crafting art that is imbued with a dreamlike quality and rich with personal and universal narratives. The ambiguity of my motifs is intentional, born from the fusion of drawing and painting, and represents a continual pilgrimage towards self-discovery and artistic evolution.”
— Youjin Yi

68projects by KORNFELD is pleased to present Unprompted, the first solo exhibition in Berlin by Munich-based Korean artist Youjin Yi. The exhibition showcases paintings on canvas as well as works on Hanji paper mounted on canvas.

Youjin Yi came to Germany at the age of twenty. This move and the experiences that followed gave her a heightened awareness of what is innately hers—culture and identity—through recognising what she is not.

Youjin Yi describes herself as a tightrope walker: the rope is formed by weaving together divergent strands to create something new, while allowing each strand to exist independently. Through her works, we enter a realm of other-worldliness—a dreamlike space in which humans, animals, and mythical creatures interact with one another and with the space itself. Cross-pollination of cultures and philosophies, and the emergence of self, world, and creativity, play a central role in the paintings presented in this exhibition.

We encounter fleeting moments: a fox in a sea of blossoms, monkeys deep in communication, or the complex process of becoming itself. Figures do not merely inhabit the landscape but merge with it, transforming together into something entirely new. In each work, Youjin Yi captures a moment from which viewers can form their own stories—much like in dreams, where narratives unfold that we keep to ourselves or choose to share.

The bringing together of disparate elements is not limited to content but is also reflected in Yi’s techniques. Large formats are set against small ones; handmade Hanji paper meets traditional canvas; oil, pastel, and graphite coexist within a single work. Soft pastel colours are framed by sharper contours, while delicate lines appear beside darker fields. Unpainted areas of the canvas are just as important as the painted ones, allowing negative space to step forward and become an active part of the narrative.

 Born in 1980 in Gangneung, South Korea, Youjin Yi studied classical Korean painting with Park Dae-Sung at Sejong University in Seoul. From 2004 to 2011, she studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, during which time she also worked in Berlin under the guidance of Leiko Ikemura. In 2011, she became a master student of Günther Förg.

Youjin Yi has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Berlin, Seoul, Munich, Cologne, Paris, and Havana. Her works have been shown at international art fairs including Art Basel Hong Kong, Untitled Miami, and Asia Now Paris, and are part of the WTS Collection in Germany. The publication Fusion was released by Verlag für Moderne Kunst in 2020. The artist lives and works in Munich.