Korea was experiencing a turbulent period during 1970’s. So was YOO Keun Young’s personal life.

A university student YOO Keun Young was having a difficult time as the country was getting poor and poor and to make it worse, he didn’t have enough money either. The western culture and trend were pouring into Korea at that time without being filtered. Despite of the circumstance, YOO wasn’t swept away by the trend but he stood up and stayed where he’d always been. During this period, He painted series of <Untitled>, <Geonhoepo>, <Cosmic space> and <The odd nature> etc. The series of <The odd nature> is YOO’s major work. Among others, he’s been working on this series the most and the longest. The nature in <The odd nature> is not real nature. Flowers, grass, trees and mountains are all unfamiliar and his strange nature is re-born on the canvas as the odd nature. The colorful and calm nature is a lot like YOO’s past during the turbulent period. Sometimes it looks like colorful paints are placed on the canvas wherever they want to be and sometimes it looks like there are YOO’s frustrations and prays. YOO Keun Young has had 42 solo exhibitions since 1970’s. He always sublimates reality that he faces in art and he keeps painting as an artist who lives today.