DOUGLAS YU
ART

current show

Chaos and Creativity

100 State

17 S Fairchild st

Floor 7

Madison

My work is inspired by the natural world. `the variety of subject matter is limitless. I use natural objects as a starting point for my work. I then modify the patterns and textures to fit my aesthetic. My subject matter ranges from the very small to the large. I work in black and white because I want to emphasize the shape and textures of the subject matter and I believe that color would distract from what I’m trying to communicate. Also, I believe the black and white can reveal a spectrum of feelings, from relaxation to menace. I work in charcoal because I love the rich black and the range of value I can create. Please contact me for availability and pricing for originals.

Much of my work is a reaction to my mental health challenges. Drawing helps me process the pain confusion and ultimately the hope that I experience as I navigate life.

Douglas yu bio

Douglas Yu is of mixed race. With a Korean father and a mother of European descent. He was fortunate to be exposed to both cultures and artistic traditions both of which inform his aesthetic.

Yu currently lives in Deerfield, WI with his wife Amy, a dog, cat and fishes

Douglas Yu is a native of Madison Wisconsin. He has lived in the area for the majority of his life. Yu comes from a mixed race family. His father is Korean and his mother was of European descent. The blending of the two cultural traditions has had a profound effect on his life. As his parents always cultivated an interest in the arts, Yu was fortunate. This immersion in the beauty of Asian and Western visual art has informed his aesthetic.

Currently he lives in Deerfield, Wisconsin with his beautiful wife Amy, a big dumb dog and a lazy cat. Deerfield is a small town just outside of Madison. It’s a quiet town which is ideal so Yu can focus on his work. In his free time, Yu enjoys the outdoors, playing with the dog and staring at his fish tank.

my work

When I’ve found a subject or idea that I would like to draw, I tend to create a series of images. This allows me to explore all aspects of the subject and experiment within the framework of that subject

entropy

I was ill for a number of years and was unable to create. When I recovered I explored my experience. The result was the Entropy series. It represents the structure of ordinary life can be overwhelmed by the forces of chaos.

Micro/macro

When I was a child my mother gave me a book of images taken with a scanning electron microscope. I was fascinated with the pictures. they showed a whole world around us that we can’t see. In these works I see that they correspond to larger objects and I have titled them accordingly. These images are also when I fell in love with black and white. After the titled I’ve indicated what the original source material is

Botanicals

At These works are inspired by plants

Fossils

This series is inspired by fossils

Topography

These images are inspired by driftwood and muscle fibers

Passage

These two works were inspired by slot canyons. While trying not to be cliche, I show two paths. One to darkness and one to light.

portrait

These works are inspired by the faces of insects. These works are meant to be interesting while also possessing as sense of menace. I see the the subjects of these works as protective. In Korean mythology there is a beast called a Haetae. While fierce, it protects buildings because it eats fire.