[Gallery Walk] Painting the Time of Water That Sometimes Flows Against Gravity...

Artist Lee Ji-won’s First Solo Exhibition 'Wet Crack'
The Process of Getting Wet, Soaking In, and Drying
Abstract Expression of Water

In an Increasingly Complex World
Pursuing Minimalism Through Art

Artist Lee Ji-won held her first solo exhibition, 'Wet Crack,' on the 2nd at Choi Contemporary Art (CCA) gallery located in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul.

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] Acrylic paints in various colors have absorbed water. The paint then leaps into its destination, the canvas. A leap from three-dimensional space to a two-dimensional plane. Finally freed, the paint soaks into the felt canvas and spreads as it pleases. The liquid properties create elegant curves, and the unique pigmentation of acrylic evokes a vivid yet sticky sensation. The absorbency of the felt sometimes causes the paint to flow against gravity. The paint fills the painting and then speaks to the audience.

The first solo exhibition "Wet Crack" by emerging artist Lee Ji-won (photo, 30) is currently being held at Choi Contemporary Art (CCA) in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Lee Ji-won reveals her inner self through a technique of mixing acrylic paint with water and letting it soak into felt. Lee said, "I wanted to tell a story about the process of wetting, soaking, and drying, which is why I held this exhibition," adding, "I abstractly expressed water, an important material in my work."

Lee Ji-won's 'Wet flow' and 'Wet Crack (below)'

Her work is a record of the time water has stayed. The process from water in liquid form to evaporation is visualized through acrylic paint spreading on felt. In her work "wet flow" (2021), one can glimpse the traces of life-filled water flowing. In contrast, "wet crack" (2021), hung just below, depicts dried, twisted, and cracked forms that imply the disappearance of water. Art critic Choi Ji-won commented, "The cracks are spaces of possibility that can someday be newly filled with other paints," and added, "They will be remembered not as symbols of absence and deficiency but as fields of recovery."

The artist prefers working on felt rather than canvas. Felt varies in thickness from thin like traditional Korean paper (hwaseonji) to as thick as a carpet. Usually made from animal hair, it is now also produced with synthetic fibers due to its high corrosiveness. Lee Ji-won said, "During COVID-19 when going out was restricted, I came across felt while looking for the most easily obtainable material," and explained, "I found it very attractive because it has a sponge-like texture and capacity to hold a lot of water and paint."

The artist mainly works on the rooftop. Lee Ji-won said, "Winter is good for expressing a damp and wet feeling, while summer is good for expressing a dry and cracked feeling," adding, "It is an attractive space because the feeling of the work can change with the seasons."

Lee Ji-won's 'Orange'.

While honing her own painting techniques, Lee Ji-won also enjoys new and experimental work. Her piece "Orange," completed last year, was created by attaching and then removing newspaper soaked with water onto the painting for a certain period. The ink marks and images transferred from the newspaper to the painting reveal another way of the artist’s thinking and add abstraction.

The artist plans to continue presenting works that go beyond merely pretty art to embody her dense philosophy. Lee Ji-won stated, "When I do simple and repetitive abstract work, I often feel healed myself," and added, "I think pursuing minimalism through art in an increasingly complex world is valuable, and I want to become an artist who delivers deep messages with philosophical solidity."