Vanish Together?, 36 x 48 inches, mixed media, 2024
Regina Hann, a painter, is having a solo exhibition titled 'Coexistence' at Riverside Gallery from April 27th to May 4th. The opening reception will take place on Saturday, April 27th, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Hann is an artist who creates works expressing interest in the beauty and crisis of coral reefs. Inspired by her childhood experiences at the seaside and her environmentally conscious values, she has chosen coral reefs as the subject of her artwork.
Coral reefs provide food and habitats for marine life, protect us from tsunamis, and offer ingredients for various medicines, making them essential ecosystems for humanity. However, these coral reefs are dying due to environmental pollution and global warming.
Hann's artwork explores the sculptural beauty of coral reefs, which are more diverse than any other organism on Earth, and aims to raise awareness of their importance in marine environments.
Currently residing in New Jersey, Hann earned a Bachelor's degree in Western Painting from Silla University in 1984 and studied painting at The Art Students League of New York from 2018 to 2020. Additionally, she worked as a fashion designer for her own women's clothing and dress brand from 1986 to 2004 and served as a judge for the Miss Busan Contest in 1988. She was also introduced in the Korean media as the world's first designer to create wedding dresses using mother-of-pearl hand embroidery. Her unique use of materials in her artwork is rooted in her skills as a fashion designer.
The exhibition is titled 'Coexistence.' It showcases various unique forms of coral reefs as well as those that are turning white and disappearing due to pollution. Hann portrays coral reefs as metaphorical devices for humanity, allowing us to see ourselves through the image of coral. She says, 'The disasters that befall our children begin beneath the sea, but a prosperous future also roots itself in the ocean.' Through her paintings, she emphasizes the coexistence of humanity and nature and dreams of complete regeneration of nature through the restoration of coral reefs.