[Exhibitions of the Week] Kishio Suga Solo Exhibition · Lee Woosung Solo Exhibition 'Prepared for You' and More

▲ Kishio Suga Solo Exhibition = Gallery Shinra Seoul Hall is hosting the largest solo exhibition in Korea of Kishio Suga, a leading artist of the Japanese art movement Mono-ha (物派, mono-ha), until the 3rd of next month.

Space Beyond Interval, Kishio Suga, h.120.0 x w.90.0 x d.29.4 cm, wood, acrylic, 2019. [Photo by Gallery Shinra]

Mono-ha is an art movement that transformed art from merely an object of contemplation into an encounter by regulating the possibilities of various relationships among natural materials. Centered around artists such as Lee Ufan and Kishio Suga, it rapidly spread within Japan from the early 1970s through their published writings, leaving the most prominent mark in the history of contemporary Japanese art.

The artist is known as a central figure of Mono-ha who has consistently pursued his own methods and way of thinking to this day. He departed from conventional ideas about art and artwork production methods by combining almost unprocessed natural or artificial materials and arranging them in space, raising questions about the relationships between objects and objects, and objects and places, as well as prompting viewers to question their conceptual perspectives.

co-edges, Kishio Suga, h.125.5 x w.108.5 x d.12 cm, wood, water base paint, 1992 [Photo by Gallery Shinra]

This exhibition presents over 60 works including installations, drawings, and photographs spanning the artist’s oeuvre from 1974 to 2023. Alongside the exhibition, Gallery Shinra will publish a Mono-ha research book titled "Attitudes of Mono-ha," which was planned over five years.

Lee Jun-yeop, director of Gallery Shinra, explained, "Kishio Suga is a representative figure of the Japanese Mono-ha movement, and this exhibition will greatly help in understanding Mono-ha. We expect it to be a meaningful exhibition for visitors who want to explore various perspectives and philosophical viewpoints of contemporary art along with understanding the Mono-ha movement." The exhibition runs until September 3rd at Gallery Shinra Seoul Hall, Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.

Lee Woosung, Sunset Glow and Friends, 2023, Acrylic gouache on a quilted cloth made from scraps, 260×600 cm. Photo by Hakgojae

▲ Lee Woosung Solo Exhibition 'Prepared for You' = Hakgojae Gallery is holding a solo exhibition titled 'Prepared for You' by artist Lee Woosung. This exhibition highlights the work of a promising young artist and is his first solo exhibition at a gallery.

The artist, born in Seoul, majored in painting at Hongik University and earned a master's degree in Fine Arts from Korea National University of Arts. Since participating in his first group exhibition in 2008, he has exhibited at major public art museums in Korea such as Seoul Museum of Art and Gyeongnam Provincial Museum of Art. Internationally, he has shown works at Doosan Gallery, New York, and Wexford Arts Centre in Ireland. Although he has held numerous solo and group exhibitions, this is his first solo gallery exhibition at Hakgojae.

Inspired by rereading Kim Seung-ok’s novel "Seoul, Winter 1964," the artist found the motif for his works. He discovered the present in the winter landscape of 1964. The protagonists of the novel, amid turbulent times, reflect the struggles of the 880,000 won generation facing an anxious reality. Through concretely depicted portraits, the artist captures current life and reality as they are and presents them to the audience.

Lee Woosung, Please Sit Here, 2023, Acrylic Gouache on Canvas, 91x91cm [Photo courtesy of Hakgojae Gallery]

"For me, people are all about expressions and messages. My work is about transferring that into paintings. What matters is that we live in the same time. That is the thread connecting you and me. I wish you happiness and health. I hope the paintings transferred onto thin fabric can reach your heart. The size of the paintings is still too small to contain everything I have seen." Witty yet imbued with underlying pathos, the artist’s words, like the landscapes in his works, convey the concerns of a contemporary youth embracing frustration and anxiety, as well as the anguish of an artist. The exhibition runs until September 13th at Hakgojae Gallery, Sogyeok-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.

Morning in Jongdalli I Acrylic on Canvas/130.3×387.8 cm/2023 [Photo by Jeju Gallery]

▲ Kim Yongju Solo Exhibition ‘Barambadang’ = Insa Art Center Jeju Gallery is hosting a solo exhibition titled 'Barambadang' by painter Kim Yongju from the 23rd until September 4th. This is the artist’s first solo exhibition in Seoul in 28 years, showcasing over 40 works themed on the Jeju sea.

Born and raised in Jeju, the artist worked as a middle and high school art teacher for 33 years and authored several textbooks. In July 2017, he suddenly returned to his hometown Jeju Island. Observing and repeatedly capturing the nature of his hometown on canvas while sacrificing sleep, he has been actively producing works and holding at least one solo exhibition annually.

Many of the exhibited works are inspired by the coastline stretching from Hado-ri in Gujwa-eup, Jeju City, to Jongdal-ri and then to Ojo-ri in Seongsan-eup. At dawn, countless migratory birds gather at this beach but fly away immediately at the slightest sound. The yellow-tinted sea and flocks of birds appearing in the works vanish quickly, but their movements remain as dots and strokes.

Afternoon of Hadori II, Acrylic on Canvas/65.1x100cm/2023 [Photo provided by Jeju Gallery]

To express freely beyond the constraints of form, the artist chose to use his hands and fingers instead of brushes. In 'Morning at Jongdal-ri I' (2023), which overwhelms viewers with its vast horizontal scale, he uses his hands and fingers as tools to depict black rocks, pebbles, and waves. The vitality felt in his sea paintings, reminiscent of the three ink techniques of ink wash painting?dense ink, medium ink, and light ink?or of spontaneously written calligraphy, invites viewers to the Jeju seaside. The exhibition runs until September 4th at Insa Art Center Jeju Gallery, Insadong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.