LAWRENCE TZUCHI YUN

Born and raised in Taiwan, Professor Lawrence Tzuchi Yun graduated with a Packaging Design emphasis from Fu Hsin Arts School (Taipei) in 1988 and later moved to Los Angeles, California in 1990 continuing his education. Professor Yun holds a Master of Fine Arts in Drawing/Painting and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Printmaking from California State University, Long Beach. He is a Full Professor in the Department of Visual Arts at California State University, Fullerton where he specializes in watercolor, pencil rendering, and illustration.

Among 13 solo exhibitions in 15 years since 1997, Professor Yun has been exhibiting as a featured solo artist in prestigious galleries and museums throughout California, including reputable Bergamot Station's (Santa Monica) Patricia Correia Gallery, Schomburg Gallery, Sarah Lee Art Works & Projects as well as Torrance Art Museum and Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery (LAMAG). His works are also representing in various private and public permanent collections, including Terranea Resort, Sony Pictures, and The Franklin Mint. His work can also be seen in the television programs, including Luck (HBO), The Guardian (CBS), Eli Stone (ABC), Monk (HBO), and Knight Rider (NBC) and movies, including Daddy Day Care (Columbia Pictures), Meet the Fockers (Universal Pictures), and Transformers (DreamWorks).

ARTIST STATEMENT
In the style of realism, artist Lawrence Tzuchi Yun's watercolor series reveal the intriguing relationship between culture and nature; man-made creation versus natural phenomena. He focused on the manipulation and manufacturing of nursery culture as an artificial and yet natural hybridization between man and earth. The paintings were meant to be aesthetically pleasing, yet the deliberate awkwardness of the structured subject matter was manipulated within the composition to convey subtle messages that triggered the audience to question the imagery. These images represent Yun's observation of universal technological and evolutionary living patterns, which appear as genetically modified and biologically enhanced experiment practiced throughout all aspects of life -- a "miracle grow" sensation that is beyond real.

The genre of flower painting in Western Art has been a less important subject matter and may even seem cliché as eye candy to some. Yun was aware of art historical precedents and accordingly tried to depart from the tradition with a modern interpretation. With a diverse art background and training of two distinct cultures, he intended to revitalize the role of the traditional Euro-American floral and still life genre, as well as to re-evaluate the status of the contemporary watercolor in fine art with his fused aesthetic of both East and West.

RESUME

Education

2001 Drawing/Painting (M.F.A.) California State University, Long Beach
1997 Printmaking (B.F.A.) California State University, Long Beach
1989 Packaging Design Fu-Hsin Trade and Arts School

Solo Exhibitions

2012
Hybrid Romance, Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery (Barnsdall Park), Hollywood

2011
Inspired Watercolors - Botanical Paintings by Lawrence Yun, Atelier 6000 Art Studio Gallery, Bend, Oregon

2010
Hybrid Romance, Sarah Lee Artworks & Projects (Bergamot Station), Santa Monica

2007
Greenhouse Laboratory III, Walker's Gallery, Palos Verdes Art Center, Rancho Palos Verdes

2006
Terrain: Mt. Huangshan & Yangtze River, Sarah Lee Artworks & Projects (Bergamot Station), Santa Monica

2006
Greenhouse Laboratory II, Torrance Art Museum

2005
Greenhouse Laboratory, Sarah Lee Artworks & Projects(Bergamot Station), Santa Monica

2003
Showcase, DNFA (Diane Nelson Fine Arts) Gallery, Pasadena

2001
ManipuNature, Patricia Correia Gallery (Bergamot Station), Santa Monica

2000
ManipuNature, A Master of Fine Arts Exhibition, Design Gallery, California State University, Long Beach

1999
Solo Series of Three, 99, Angels Gate Cultural Center, San Pedro

1998
Still Still Life, Collectors Gallery, Palos Verdes Art Center, Rancho Palos Verdes

1997
Lawrence T. Yun (Selected Works, 1995-1997), Art Gallery B, California State University, Long Beach

Group Exhibitions

2013
Secret Garden (Scheduled July 13 - August 20, 2013), Manhattan Beach Creative Arts Center

2012
Two Artists Observe Nature, Los Angeles International Airport Terminal 1

No Regrets – Visual Arts Faculty Exhibition Main Gallery, California State University, Fullerton

Across Divide 2011-2012 Art Gallery, University of Texas, Austin

2011
Across Divide 2011-2012 Crossman Gallery, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

2010
California Artists in New Delhi Muktodhara, Banga Sanskirti Bhavan Cultural Center, New Delhi, India

2009
F+ – Visual Arts Faculty Exhibition Grand Central Art Center, Santa Ana

Out of School Brea Art Gallery, Brea

Still Life Fullerton College Art Gallery, Fullerton

2007
Watermark Coastline Community College Art Gallery, Fountain Valley

Marks, Scratches & Doodles Beckstrand and Walker Gallery-Palos Verdes Art Center, Palos Verdes

2006
Across Divide II Las Vegas Cultural Center, Las Vegas, NV

Across Divide II Lycoming College, Pennsylvania

Refresh – Visual Arts Faculty Exhibition Main Gallery, California State University, Fullerton

Sacred Realm Santa Ana City College Gallery, Santa Ana

2005
Tree of Life Campus Gallery, El Camino College

2004
Water Media Traditional/Experimental Manhattan Beach Creative Arts Center, Manhattan Beach

Inspired by Nature Beckstrand Gallery-Palos Verdes Art Center, Palos Verdes

2003
Palm Trees & Poppies Schomburg Gallery (Bergamot Station), Santa Monica

To Be is To Do – Visual Arts Faculty Exhibition Main Gallery, California State University, Fullerton

2002
Palm Trees, Schomburg Gallery (Bergamot Station), Santa Monica

Winter's Blossom, curator: Susanna Meiers, El Camino College Art Gallery, Torrance

2001
Investigating Nature, three-person-show, curator: Scott Canty, Pierce College Art Gallery, Woodland Hills

Elegance & Harmony, three-person-show, curator: Megumi Sando, Manhattan Beach Creative Arts Center, Manhattan Beach

The Art of Illusion (catalog), curator: Christy Johnson, Millard Sheets Gallery, Pomona

2000
InterSpace, three-person-show, Wildwind Fine Art Gallery, Idyllwild

1999
Mountains & Mole Hills, two-person-show, Art Gallery A, California State University, Long Beach

Landscape Investigations, two-person-show, Wildwind Fine Art Gallery, Idyllwild

1998
On Site at the Gate, Angels Gate Cultural Center, San Pedro

In Search of Milieu, a collaborative show between artists and writers, Art Gallery C, California State University, Long Beach

Elegance and Sensitivity, curator: Lawrence Yun, DesignGroup, Long Beach

1997
Landscape and Still Life, Downey Museum of Art, Downey

Juried Exhibitions

2006
38th Watercolor West Juried Exhibition Brea Cultural Center Gallery, Brea

2005
20th Annual Made-in-California Juried Exhibition City of Brea Gallery, Brea

6x6 Miniature Exhibition University Gallery, Northern Kentucky University, Kentucky

2003
All Media 2003 Juried Exhibition Irvine Fine Arts Center, Irvine

2002
All Media Juried Exhibition Beckstrand Gallery, Palos Verdes Art Center, Rancho Palos Verdes

2000
Brand 30th Works on Paper Brand Library and Art Center, Glendale

Art Rental and Sales Gallery Show Case Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles

All Media 2000 Exhibition Irvine Fine Arts Center, Irvine

1999
75th Year Anniversary Exhibition Celebration Long Beach Arts, Long Beach

2nd Annual Contemporary California Art Collection Sacramento

1998
Brand 28th Watercolor Annual Competition Brand Library and Art Center, Glendale

1997
All Southern California Open Long Beach Arts, Long Beach

Reviews

National Public Radio (Intern Edition) – artist interview , 2012

American Contemporary Art – exhibition review, April/May, 2010

Chattopadhyay, Collette "Lawrence Yun," exhibition review, Art Asia Pacific, p. 86, September, 2005

Hixon, Michael, "Waterfall of Colors," exhibition preview, Beach Reporter, p. 57, July 29, 2004

Martinez, Jennifer, "Artists Reveal Image, Identity," exhibition preview, Daily Titan, p.3 & 8, May 6, 2004

Grenier, Meredith, "About Town: Nature Focus of Art Exhibit," review, Daily Breeze, p. B3, February 10, 2004

Gottlieb, Shirle, "Naturally Differing Interpretations Are in the Caricatures at the Getty and the Views of Reality in Palos Verdes," exhibition review, Press-Telegram, p. U38, Fri., February 6, 2004

Wu, Nancy, "Eastern Culture on the West Coast," interview (Chinese text), China Press, P. B1, July 15, 2003

"Palm Attitudes at Schomburg," exhibition preview, Santa Monica Mirror, p. 13, November 13-19, 2002

Gottlieb, Shirle, "Arresting Art – The New Show at Long Beach Arts Contains Pieces That Might Stop You in Your Tracks," exhibition review, U-Entertainment, p. U36, Friday, August 23, 2002

"Palm Attitudes at Schomburg," exhibition announcement with photos, Santa Monica Mirror, p. 13, 2002

Charlene Roth, review, "ManipuNature", Artweek, p.18, June 2001.

"Master Painters of the World - United States Showcase", International Artist, p. 29, June/July 2001.

Kathy Shrinkle, "ARTifacts," interview, p. 7, spring quarter, 1999

Shirle Gottlieb, review, "Still Still Life - Feast for Eyes in Wide Array of Tasty Art", Press-Telegram, C1, Wed., April 14, 1999.

Megumi Sando, review, "Still Still Life", Easy Reader (South Bay edition), p.51, March 18, 1999.

Shirle Gottlieb, review, "Water Shows Fluidity of Still Life", Press-Telegram, E3, Wed., August 19, 1998.

Catalogues
2007 "Watermark," p. 12-13, Coastline Community College
2004 "Inspired by Nature," p.10-11, & 19, Palos Verdes Art Center
2001 "The Art of Illusion," p. 25, Millard Sheets Gallery
1997 "The Best of Printmaking," p. 104, Rockport Publishers

Film & Television Placements
Luck television series, 2010, HBO
Knight Rider (remake) television series, 2008, NBC
Eli Stone television series, 2007, ABC
Transformers featured film, 2007, DreamWorks
Monk television series, 2005, USA Network
Meet the Fockers featured film, 2004, Universal Pictures
Guardian television series, 2001-2003, CBS
Daddy Day Care featured film, 2003, Columbia Pictures

Selected Collections
Terranea Resort, Rancho Palos Verdes, California
Sony Pictures (Domestic Television)
The Franklin Mint
Brand Library and Art Center, Glendale, California
Loudermilk Couture Production
Palos Verdes Art Center, Rancho Palos Verdes, California