Mono Prismatic Wave: Art Exhibition at the Queens College Art Center

Eight Korean-American artists are being represented in the show.

Mono Prismatic Wave is a new art exhibition featuring distinguished works of eight contemporary Korean-American Artists — Dong Hee Lee, Dong Kyu Kim, Jayoung Yoon, Sui Park, Seung Lee, Stephanie S. Lee, Sueim Koo, and Wonju Seo. Drawing on their culture as an inspiration, the artists celebrate unique life stories and philosophies derived from their heritage.

The show is taking place in the borough of Queens which holds the distinction of being the most ethnically diverse area in the United States. Almost half of the population is from abroad, and more than 100 different languages are spoken. Considering that Koreans are the fastest-growing ethnic group in the borough, the exhibition is displayed in the right place at the right time.

In recent years, pop culture sensations like the Korean Wave (Hallyu) trend and Korean Pop music (K-Pop) entertainment have become popular among young Americans. However, contemporary Korean visual fine arts have not been granted the same exposure.

Curated by Stephanie S. Lee, Mono Prismatic Wave hopes to bring Korean contemporary art to the public eye. Over twenty-five original pieces in an array of mediums and styles will be displayed including sculptures, paintings, installations, fabric patchworks, mixed-media collages, and traditional Korean Folk Art. The term ‘Mono’ refers to four of the eight artists who play with forms and shapes with a minimalist color palette, and ‘Prismatic’ refers to the remaining four artists who use bright and bold colors as part of their visual method. The two obvious differences coexisting under one exhibition is a visual symbolization of how diversity works in Queens. With the help and support of the Kupferberg Center for Arts coupled with the Research Center for Korean Community at Queens College, Stephanie S. Lee created an exhibition that will reach and engage audiences and help them understand diverse culture and promote global cultural awareness.

Queens College Art Center website: https://www.qcartcenter.org

Examples of some of the art that will be featured.