Detail: The original work of three gifted Asian artists Koki Morimoto, Young Ran Jung and Yozo Abe will be on display at Agora Gallery, NYC.

About Koki Morimoto

Japanese artist Koki Morimoto likens his painting process to the natural process by which plants emerge from the ground and grow, an evolution which is echoed in the elegant lines and shapes of his black and white acrylic compositions. The seductive curves and textures in these abstract canvases occasionally suggest such disparate subjects as landscapes or calligraphy, and their titles occasionally offer evocations of nature, but the works remain decidedly non-representational, focusing viewers' eyes on the visual and tactile properties of the thick, rounded brushstrokes and the interplay of light and dark areas in each image.
The dark, sinuous forms Morimoto's marks describe — to which he occasionally adds shades of color like pale blues, yellows, and dark browns — guide the eyes over the canvas, at times becoming bold and thick, elsewhere thinning out to reveal the white beneath. Each work takes the viewer on an optical journey of sorts, tracing a line over a white space, like a seed emerging from barren ground.

About Young Ran Jung

Young Ran Jung’s exuberant, surreal paintings take a simple inspiration and infuse it with worldly mystery. Jung’s recent work was sparked by her school years at the Ecole d’Arts appliques MJM Graphic Design in Paris, which had a great impact on her and her work, being one of her happiest memories and giving her confidence as a professional artist. While there she became interested in what she calls “purity and joie de vivre,” evident in her candy-colored palette, her use of big geometric forms, and the fairytale-like mood of her works. She paints rolling hills and endless skies, impossible in scope and populated with shapes that could be topiary trimmed by an evil genius. She works either in oil on canvas or traditional Korean gelatin paint on paper with subtle textures colors that, though playful, display an artist’s grasp of atmospheric effect. The scenes are genuinely enigmatic, with the merest hint of narrative.

Jung was born in Jeonju, South Korea and today lives in Paris, where she works from her home studio. She has participated in several high-profile exhibitions in Paris.

About Yozo Abe

Bright, confrontational, and enigmatic, the acrylic paintings of Japanese artist Yozo Abe are unmatched in verve. His painting style is chameleonic, with a style that varies with sophistication to match his message and subject matter. Yozo Abe plays with line, texture, and light in turn. However, certain graphic elements remain constant across his body of work. Colors are always vivid; space is flattened; figures are representational, but exaggerated and sharpened; and the compositions are constructed so as to throw the viewer off balance. For every piece of information that is revealed about a scene, another is withheld. Energy jolts across the canvas, figures dance – much is apparently happening, but the viewer does not know why. Yozo Abe’s world is enjoyably opaque. He describes his process as “painting in abandon,” and invites viewers to come up with their own interpretations.
Yozo Abe was born in Aichi, Japan and has exhibited in his home country as well as Spain and the United States. He is a self-taught artist.

About Agora Gallery

Agora Gallery is a contemporary fine art gallery located in the heart of Chelsea’s fine art district in New York. Established in 1984, Agora Gallery specializes in connecting art dealers and collectors with national and international artists. The art gallery’s expert consultants are available to assist corporate and private clients in procuring original artwork to meet their organization’s specific needs and budget requirements. With a strong online presence and popular online gallery, ARTmine, coupled with the spacious and elegant physical gallery space, the work of our talented artists, who work in diverse media and styles, can receive the attention it deserves. Over the years Agora Gallery has sponsored and catered to special events aimed at fostering social awareness and promoting the use of art to help those in need.