There are many painters that focus on their artistic exploration on a single subject matter of tree. The reason why they take interest in a common subject matter tree is because it not only offers its formative beauty but also allows various formative variations. The shape of a tree that is divided into trunk, branch and leaf is perfectly equipped with the requirements of a painting subject matter. Furthermore, its reliable and solid shape of being firmly rooted in the ground is more than enough as a symbol of life. In other words, it is an appropriate subject matter also for containing content.

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  Since her first personal exhibition, Ryu Young-shin has been continuously using tree as her artistic subject matter. It was not, however, the same way of expressing the actual tree shape. While embracing the shape of a tree that consists of trunk, branch and leaf, Ryu has been searching for her own unique style. Accordingly, it was a reinterpretation method using omission, simplification or distortion. In other words, the significance was placed on changing into a painting image that is different from the actual feel even though the shape of a tree does exist.

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  When an actual tree becomes liberated from actuality, such as in her case, the formative imagination of a painter takes on a life of its own. It's because this will allow the painter to search for her own formative beauty through more uninhibited formative interpretation while maintaining the typical shape of a tree. In fact, she has been striving to achieve formative beauty that is strictly different from the actuality based on the shape of a tree. Through such approach, she has been reaching closer to her individual formative beauty.

 

  In recent, Ryu has been using birch tree and poplar tree for her artistic subject matters. It's perhaps not very meaningful to distinguish the two trees as they are simplified and expressed not in their full details. In spite of this, a significant difference is revealed in its formative interpretation in the actual artwork. If her series on birch tree remains in a realistic space, her series on poplar tree occupies modern formative space that is disengaged from reality through flat composition.

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  The birch tree series is only composed of tree trunk and leaves while branches have been omitted. It's an extremely simple composition where white trunk in a distinct shape and thick leaves are mixed together. The overall impression is simple and concise but a realistic sense of space is felt within. It shows that a formative language of a compression and summary of reality is being applied. In other words, it is the reason why a realistic sense of space is maintained by compressing the shape using minimum number of images rather than blocking the sense of reality.

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  Here, Ryu is personifying birch tree. Is it why? The shape of big trunks that are erected straight or curved left and right reminds of Russian woman. It's not difficult to understand this once you realize that the white birch tree symbolizes the white skin of Russian woman. The birth tree series expressed through supple and smooth shape brings out a fantastic atmosphere. In the sense that the tree is shaped after a beautiful woman than a tree, her ideal formative world can be speculated.

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  Meanwhile, her artwork on poplar tree is unique in its simpler and bolder composition compared to that of birch tree. Using the formative language of omission and shape transformation, Ryu pursues a semi-abstract form. Its formative interpretation compressed into flat image, in particular, is clearly distinguished from her birch tree series. Poplar tree is gangly shaped as its branches are small compared to its straight and tall truck. She is interpreting it through a simple and flat image by focusing on such shape characteristic.

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  Furthermore, it ends up having clear and upright formative beauty by simplifying it through geometrical image. A realistic sense of space cannot be felt at all in her poplar tree series because it is a perfectly flat interpretation. The new formative interpretation of distorting and simplifying the image of a tree is presented in the form of mixing flat surface and lines. This is a task of revealing the intention of seeking pure formative space. The repetitious arrangement of lines that symbolize the growth ring of a tree is no different than the expression of the intention to achieve pure formative beauty.

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  Accordingly, Ryu, who has long been using tree as her artistic subject matter, is creating her own unique formative frame by cleverly mixing realistic and plane natures. Her birch tree series, in particular, stands out for its emotional expression of causing visual pleasure achieved by mixing and arranging a few primary colors. Most of all, Ryu is asking herself of the possibility of her own unique formative beauty through the combination of her intense color image based on bold complementary color and simple and flat images.

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  It can be said that her formative sense that has been cultivated through her birch tree series is evolving in her poplar tree series that recently began. Most of all, it gives out intense impression as the flat images that are expressed in a simple way to the point of being bold dominates a significant part of the canvas. Her drastic color contrast using complementary color is enough to dazzle the eyes of audiences through its strong visual appeal. It shows the persuasiveness of being able to capture the heart through color image. Furthermore, her color contrast that is intense to the point of appearing risky presents the visual beauty of color forme.

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