Beyond the Word
Under the theme of Beyond the Word, Choi Joo-yeol’s exhibition will be held at the Uju Museum from June 3rd through July 31th. The theme of this exhibition was chosen to reflect the artist’s distinct perspective and style in regards to expressing things that are important elements of life but prove difficult to express in objective language.
Artist Choi Joo-yeol graduated from the School of Visual Arts MFA Computer Arts in New York. This exhibition will feature works that unfold his philosophy on canvas as well as NFT works.
In the artist’s note, Choi Joo-yeol said, “It will be impossible to satisfy everyone in the world through the work. Also, I don’t think a work that the creator doesn’t like is a good work. So I enjoy doing work activities that satisfy myself as much as I can,” he said, giving a clear philosophy regarding his work.
Choi Joo-yeol’s exhibition contains all of his wishes and directions, creating his own language with complex and subtle self-portraits while dreaming of harmony with the world. He, who fully reveals his self-consciousness through his work, seems to define his work activities as a process of building his own “language.” In other words, it visualizes that which cannot be expressed in a universal language.
Following his free philosophy of works, the process of creating the works is also intriguing. After sketching his thoughts, which are too complicated to be expressed simply, in acrylic paint, he adds several layers to reveal the hierarchy of the work. Then, he conveys his intuitive feeling with unique colors and icons.
Artist Choi Joo-yeol made his name known abroad before Korea. After completing his master’s degree at SVA, New York, he was also officially invited to the Cinefest in Los Angeles in 2016 and to the bff that opened in New York that same year. With the arrival of various new technologies such as AI art and NFT in the art market, he chose as a tool for convergence to express his work philosophy rather than being dependent on technology and develops his own world of work in a new form. Choi Joo-yeol’s NFT work, which deals with social topics with unique motion graphics, will also be a viewing point of interest.
The layers, colors, and unique objects of Choi Joo-yeol’s work are an extension of the artist’s desire for various expressive communications beyond language. Through interaction with the work and appreciating the exhibition showcasing the artist’s intuition, visitors may experience their own emotions that are difficult to express through written and spoken words alone.
Among the writer’s notes,
“Language is a social tool and I think it’s a concept that contradicts my extremely personal self.

Therefore, I would like to focus on the visible form and capture the intuition of the moment on the screen rather than the semantic connection between the objects and writings in most recent works. Narrowly, it used chaos to express stability, and beyond that chaos, there is only this world and myself. I hope that viewers will relax in front of the painting and feel my work with an open sense and emotion as if they are looking at the flowers in the field without prejudice. Then, you will face yourself before you know it!”