Bae Bien-U

PHotoEspaña 2006

The Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza is participating in the 9th edition of PHotoEspaña, the International Festival of Photography and the Visual Arts, with an exhibition of the work of Bae Bien-U (born Yosu, South Korea, 1950). The 16 photographs on display comprise the two series Pine Tree and Wind of Tahiti. The first consists of images created in the early 1990s and focuses on pine forests, which have been an important source of inspiration for the artist. In these photographs the trees became living creatures that unite earth and sky or represent individuals and social groups. The second series, Wind of Tahiti, created between 2002 and 2003, depicts trees and plants imbued with strength and colour recalling Paul Gauguin’s paintings during his Tahitian period. Bae Bien-U is one of the leading names in young Korean photography. He is a self-taught artist whose work is notably influenced by his study of art. His photography has been exhibited world-wide, from Tahiti to New York, as well as Tokyo, Paris and London