Korean Cultural Center gallery hosts Harry Ahn solo exhibition

You are invited to the Harry Ahn Invitational Exhibition at the Korean Cultural Center of Chicago Gallery.

Ahn's affinity for people who are struggling came from his own experiences as a refugee in Korea. Born in North Korea, he was a young teen when the Korean War forced his family to flee to South Korea, leaving them destitute and homeless.

In his art, the viewer can see that his remembrance of his refugee childhood has infused his art with both compassion and spirituality, and Ahn seeks out the basic human value of each individual. In all his renderings of the homeless, we are called to recognize the worth and dignity of every human, knowing that each has untold stories behind their homelessness.

Ahn has had multiple exhibitions throughout the United States and Canada. He won more than 80 regional, national and international competition awards, including the Michelangelo Buonarroti 500 Celebration International Award in 2008, and the Leonardo da Vinci International Award in 2009.

"A homeless wanderer on the street is an endless subject. I want to make people think about the many different ways ordinary people end up on the street. An artist can transform this outcast into a human worthy of dignity and respect. I was that same homeless wanderer during the desolation right after the Korean War," said Harry Ahn.

The exhibition runs through June 30 at the Korean Cultural Center of Chicago Gallery, 9930 Capitol Drive, Wheeling.

For information, visit www.kccoc.org.