Harry Ahn Solo Exhibition Opening Reception

I am not worthless,
just homeless.

문화회관 갤러리 초대작가전

Exhibition: June 3-30, 2022

Opening Reception: June 3, 3pm

Ahn’s affinity for people who are struggling came from his own experiences as a refugee in Korea.  Born in North Korea, and was a young teen when the Korean War forced his family to flee to South Korea, leaving them destitute and homeless. In his art, the viewer can see that his remembrance of his refugee childhood has infused his art with both compassion and spirituality, and Harry seeks out the basic human value of each individual. In all his rendering of the homeless, we are called to recognize the worth and dignity of every human being, knowing that each has untold stories behind their homelessness.

Harry Ahn was born in North Korea in 1939.  As a child he fled to South, and became a refugee.  He found a safe haven at a Seventh-day Adventist school in Seoul, South Korea, which nurtured his artistic talent. He immigrated to Canada in 1967, and worked as an illustrator, then in 1990 came to Berrien Springs, Michigan as an art professor at Andrews University. He has had multiple exhibitions throughout the United States and Canada.  He won more than 80 regional, national and international competition awards, including the Michelangelo Buonarroti 500 Celebration International Award in 2008, and the Leonardo da Vinci International Award in 2009.

“A homeless wanderer on the street is an endless subject.  I want to make people think about the many different ways ordinary people end up on the street.  An artist can transform this outcast into a human being worthy of dignity and respect.  I was that same homeless wanderer during the desolation right after the Korean War. “

– Harry Ahn