Whitestone Gallery is proud to announce “Vortex of Silence,” an abstract group exhibition featuring the works of three distinguished Asian artists: Katsuyoshi Inokuma (Japan) , Soonik Kwon (Korea), and Liu Ke (China). Join us from October 28th to December 2nd as they embark on an artistic journey that delves into the intricate interplay between two-dimensional painting, the passage of time, and spatial dimensions. Using a unique blend of lines, colors, and materials, these artists embrace the abstract language of art, inviting viewers to explore the boundless realms of imagination. The silent visuals they create stir infinite contemplation, much like gentle water ripples that flow into the recesses of the mind, igniting endless imaginative possibilities.

As you explore this exhibition, we invite you to immerse yourself in the captivating interplay of diverse nationalities and cultures. Abstract art's allure transcends the confines of images and narratives. Instead, it grants you the gift of boundless imagination and emotional nourishment. Delve into your inner world and discover profound tranquility and solace amidst the art's embrace. Let the collision and integration of different cultures inspire your journey through this world of abstraction.

Katsuyoshi Inokuma(b.1951) shifted his focus on abstract paintings based on various nuances dwelled in the color of blue in 1990s, which has borne fruit as “In Blue Series” from 1993 until today. The works of this series are structured by partitions of gentle and soft blue colors with some rectangular shape dotted around, reaches a height of unique expression. On the other hand, in recent works of the series, decorative elements of expression such as colorful tones and dripping technique are disappeared. Instead, Inokuma adopts serene white and black asthmatic colors, which produce a depth of space. His signature color of ultramarine blue, commonly called “Inokuma Blue” which covered on the entire surface, pink toned under-color behind blue, and coffee powder used as a part of mediums are blended together, create also new color phase of purple; these effective layers invoke a kind of nostalgic feeling with tactile sensation. For the artist, the most important creative principles are to produce “works that step into the heart of the viewers, ideally to the deepest cores of their hearts, as well as producing expression where the viewers’ memory crosses with the work”. One work is finally completed when passion of the artist gains sympathy of the viewer ― this is the essence of the Art of Inokuma.

Korean contemporary artist Soonik Kwon (b. 1959, Seoul) extends the charm and spirit of the Dansaekhwa movement in Korea, tirelessly using minimal "Dots, Lines, and Planes” to study and meditate in his brushwork, depicting every moment ‘as is’ including its aura and energy. Soonik Kwon mixes fine soil with pigments and superimposes a variety of coloration on the canvas to present a bright and vibrant color field. His work incorporates the artist's unique philosophical views towards the relationship and harmony between the accumulation of time and physical space. Presented through the repetition of minimalist gestures that move across the canvas like whispers, viewers are left with a space of silence and contemplation. The gradation of hue and texture changes with the accumulation of brushstrokes on the surface of the painting, indicating the flow of instant moments and the results of the artist's research.

Liu Ke (b. 1976) uses vertical lines to create works limited to the relationship between vertical lines where they press against each other through the repeated overlays, with the intention of allowing the viewer to become aware of the potential tensions between objects and space. The gradual division method in his work, where the image is divided by dense vertical lines and then becomes an overlay, with the gaps becoming narrower, and the gaps cohering a concentrated force, revealing energy through the collision of vertical or horizontal blocks. The abstract symbols and intriguing colors are used to allow the viewers to voyage through a mystical 'vortex' of art. The shift of the plane and the 'point' created in the dichotomy between the material level and spiritual level form a passage from the starting line and the gaps of the overlays to the two-dimensional and three-dimensional worlds, while entangling the everyday emotional fragments in the picture.