ARTIST BIO
Ji Hyang Ryu was born in Busan. She took drawing classes when she was in high school and majored in Natural Science in University. She was in a university Fine Arts Club as an extracurricular activity and held 8 local exhibitions in the city of Busan. After graduation, she found it difficult to find time to paint anymore with the work life as a school teacher in Korea. Korean society, being very competitive, had made painting become a luxury for her.
The turning point in her life came after she immigrated to Canada, where she met her husband. She now enjoys a peaceful life in Canada. She was finally able to continue painting, in the year 2010. Her dream to become a professional artist was rekindled after having to set it aside for years due to her busy schedule and losing the means to continue with painting classes during high school as a result of her parent’s small business going bankrupt.
Now she has 3 beautiful children and paints every single day as a professional artist.
She wants to express her country’s beauty on canvas by drawing traditional symbols as well as animals similar to the way old time painters did in Korea using oil color, acrylic and ink as well as watercolor.
Since 2010 she has lived in Riverview, NB. Ji began painting fulltime in 2019, teaching drawing and painting at her studio in Riverview. Ji is a member of the Moncton Art Society, Riverview Art Council, Artslink NB and CARFAC Maritimes. Her art work was purchased by the Town of Riverview and has been displayed in the Moncton City Hall as a part of a juried exhibition. Also her artwork has been featured on Global News(2020) and CBC Radio-Canada's website(2021).
Exhibitions and Projects
UPCOMING
2023 August Culture Bridge 2, Solo exhibition, gallery 12, Moncton, NB
2023 Culture Bridge, Solo exhibition, Salon Irene Grant-guerette, Saint John,NB
2022 Mural Paintings for Elsipogtog Arena hired by Elsipogtog Government, Elsipogtog, NB
2022 Culture Bridge, Solo Exhibition, Gallery ARTcadienne, Miramichi, NB
2022 Wild animals, Solo Exhibition, Canvas Art Gallery, Moncton, NB
2022 Beauty of Nature and Culture Bridge, Solo Exhibit ion, Corrid’art Gallery, Shediac, NB
2022 Sackville Art Fair, Sackville, NB
2022 Moncton Art Society Group Exhibition, Moncton, NB
2022 Dieppe Arts and Culture Centre, Dieppe, NB
2021 Climate Change/ Beauty of Nature, Solo Exhibition, at Moncton City Library, Moncton, NB
2021 Riverview Art Show, Riverview Library, Riverview, NB
2021 What If Wish, Children’s book illustrator
2000 Rise, Solo Exhibition, Glass Root Gallery
, Riverview, NB
2020 Riverview Art Show, Riverview Library. Riverview, NB
2019 Juried Group Exhibition, Moncton Gallery, Moncton, NB
2019 Riverview Art Show, Riverview Library, Riverview, NB
1997-2000 Multiple Group Exhibitions in City Hall Pusan: Fine ART Group, Nabul/Pusan South Korea
Awards
2023 Concept to Realization Grant by Canada Council for the Arts “Culture Bridge”
2023 Certificate of Participation 2023 Creativespace Public Art Forum
2023 ART BANK PURCHASE PROGRAM by the Canada Council for the Arts
2022-2023 Artist-in-Residency Grant from Departments of Tourism,Heritage and Culture and Education and Early Childhood Development
2022 Creation grant by ArtsNB
2022 Atlantic Canada ART BATTLE champion
2022-2023 Board Member of Directors of CARFAC Maritimes (Canadian Artists Representation Maritimes)
2022 Art Committee Member of Town of Riverview for Art Procurement Program
2021 Shediac Art War Finalist, Shediac, NB
2021 Second prize for artwork in IMPACK 2021 Annual Juried Exhibition at Neilson Park Creative Centre (Toronto)
2000 Fusion ART 14th Quarterly Art Competition Online Juried Art Still Life Exhibition
2000 Inclusion in the 10th Annual “Figurative” Light Space & Time Online Art Competition
2019 Art Battle Moncton finalist
2018 Artwork purchased and displayed by Town of Riverview
Media
2023 ArtsNB featured artists blog
2023 “All IN “ CBC East Coast news letter
2023 Visual Arts News magazine summer issue featured artist / cover
2021 CBC Halifax news Featured Artist “Climate Crossroads”
2020 Featured on Global News
2019 Featured on Thalo artist community as a spotlight Artist (2019)
Education
2022 Muralist Training Course by Festival Inspire
2021 Catapult Arts Accelerator- ArtsLink NB