Never-before-seen art show opens at Bolton’s HIVE gallery

A never-before-seen art exhibition has opened at the HIVE Gallery in Bolton’s Market Place shopping centre.

The collection is making its public debut in Bolton, with all of the works being shown together for the very first time.

The show brings together the work of two international artists whose collaborative partnership first began online during the Covid pandemic.

Chesterfield-born John E. Walter and South Korean painter Hyun K. Yoon met in person in Seoul in 2022 and have since developed a creative dialogue that crosses continents.

‘My TV Doesn’t Work Any More’ by John E Walter and Hyun K Yoon(Image: Newsquest)

Their first joint project, 32 Frames of Film (South Korea), captured fleeting moments in Seoul and Busan through the lenses of their analogue cameras.

That work has since evolved into a series of bold abstract paintings inspired by their time spent in Manchester and visits to Melbourne.

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Speaking in a joint statement, Mr Walter and Ms Yoon said: “Our collaboration reconstructs urban landscapes and fragments of everyday life with geometric compositions and vibrant colours.

“Everyday objects like building fragments, stairs, and shoes for example, are layered within the paintings, creating a new sense of space.

“Straight and diagonal lines, and a vibrant palette of colours create a dynamic rhythm, visual expressing the speed and flow of the city.”

John E. Walter and Hyun K. Yoon’s exhibition showcases abstract works exploring city life, geometry, and overlooked everyday fragments(Image: Newsquest)

They added: “By extracting scenes easily overlooked in everyday life and ranging them within an abstract order we try to evoke the complexity and energy of the cities we live in.

The repetitive and conflicting fragments of images within the pictures resemble the visual experience of modern people, while simultaneously presenting a landscape that is both unfamiliar and novel

This work shifts between the familiar and the unfamiliar, prompting viewers to reflect on the constantly changing facets of the city and the very lives we live within it.”

The exhibition, initially set to finish on October 4, will now be extending for another week.