Harry Ahn Solo Exhibition

Harry Ahn Solo Exhibition

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

 

어려움을 겪고 있는 이들에 대한 작가의 애착은 북한에서 태어나 10대 초반에 남한으로 피난하여 난민 생활을 했던 자신의 경험에서 비롯되었습니다. 노숙자에 대한 그의 모든 표현에서 우리는 인간의 가치와 존엄성을 인식할 수 있을 것이며, 각각의 노숙자 뒤에 숨겨진 이야기가 있음을 알 수 있을 것입니다.

 

그는 2008년 미켈란젤로 부오나로티 500 기념 국제상과 2009년 레오나르도 다빈치 국제상을 포함하여 80개 이상의 지역, 국내 및 국제 경쟁 상을 수상했으며, 미국과 캐나다 전역에서 여러 차례 전시회를 가졌습니다.

 

“거리의 노숙자는 끝없는 숙제다. 나는 사람들이 거리에서 다양한 방식으로 살아가는 그저 평범한 이들에 대해 생각해 보도록 하고 싶다. 예술가는 이 버림받은 사람들이 존중 받을 수 있도록 변화시킬 수 있다. 나 또한 한국전쟁 직후 황량한 노숙자였다.”

해리 안