There are times when Korea surprises me with its diversity. As elsewhere, you have to look to find it - but it's there, whether you realize it or not. I recently had tea during a sweltering summer day with Raul Pizarro, a Chilean painter opening his first solo exhibit this month.

Raul paints cities, cityscapes, or various elements found in cities - then distorts them in some way, as though you're looking at a reflection. "This reality is not real," Raul said, bringing back flashes of the Matrix as if we're all part of it. "Reality is not what we see, but it's pretty close," he continued; the distorted view of the world is thus not reality, but a version of it.

"Self-portrait" by Raul Pizarro.

After studying under a Spanish master, Raul found his way to the USA, then to Ireland and back to Chile before finding his way to Korea about 9 months ago. "What I've been trying to do...is connect Western and Eastern art philosophies....It was fate that brought me to Korea," along with his fiance, who studies here. Having completed 14 original works in his short time here, he's impressively ready for his first solo exhibition.

"Afternoon Landscape" by Raul Pizarro.

One of Raul's favorite pieces features a ubiquitous LED sign and a neon sign near the top, de-evolving or shifting into cars, water, and dirt. The reality of each element becomes twisted - there's no static starting or stopping point to focus on - while the person pictured fades into the shadows. There's no clear sense of where one elements begins or another ends. According to Raul, "it's a reminder we're all interconnected, in one way or another. When you paint the reality [of something], everything is separated. When you distort them, everything becomes interconnected."

Raul Pizarro's solo exhibit is open from July 14th (opening reception at 7pm) to August 10th at the Jay Gallery in Insa-dong (Anguk station, line 3, exit 5, inside the SK-HUB building between exits 5 and 6). For more information, check out jaypia.com. Free admission.

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© Chris Backe - 2010

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