[Exhibition of the Week] Demos Chiang Solo Exhibition 'The Hidden Souls' · Park Sangmi 'Round Comfort Tuanwon Scenery' etc.

Editor's NoteThis week's exhibitions introduce a variety of diverse and captivating shows that can be experienced nationwide over the course of one week.

A Dense Day, 53x35.5cm, Ink and Color on Korean Paper, 2024 [Photo provided by Ewhaik Gallery]

▲ Park Sangmi Solo Exhibition 'Round Comfort_團圓風景' = Ewhaik Gallery presents Park Sangmi's solo exhibition 'Round Comfort_團圓風景.' The artist, who has built a unique painting style by contrasting achromatic ink wash with vivid colors, continues her original work based on reflections on nature.

The artist adopts a way of referring to nature within spaces formed in contemporary times, intervening scenes of daily life with situations and emotions rooted in individual histories, conducting flat works represented by plants. At the center of her work are achromatic plants. The ink-wash plants are situated within spaces composed of various colors. Here, the three elements of achromatic plants, space, and color harmoniously blend on the canvas, creating a scene of coexistence. This depiction of 'coexistence' in her work sends warm regards and comfort through scenes, atmosphere, and emotions revealed by nature and space, prompting reflection on the path of harmony. The calm and soothing colors and composition, combined with plants imbued with the deep flavor of ink, offer gentle consolation and solace.

The Place Stayed_The Posture of Rest Despite Everything, 120x170cm, Ink and Color on Korean Paper, 2024
Photo by Ewhaik Gallery

The 'coexistence' in the artwork ultimately signifies 'harmony' and poses questions about the direction of 'harmony (調和).' The place called the city, along with memories and traces experienced there, are revealed as sculptural representations. Scenes, atmosphere, and emotions revealed through nature and space send warm regards and comfort through the lives we live in this era, questioning harmony. Rather than dwelling on what was harmonious today, it prompts us to consider how we should live a more harmonious life.

Thanks to the artist's gaze that captures not only easily accessible elements but also street trees, flowerpots, and weeds?often overlooked in the busy flow of life?the audience can exchange silent comfort offered by plants. The exhibition runs until the 23rd at Ewhaik Gallery, Songhyeon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.

Whitestone Gallery Seoul presents the first solo exhibition in Korea by Taiwanese artist Demos Chiang, titled 'The Hidden Souls.'
[Photo by Whitestone Gallery Seoul]

▲ Demos Chiang Solo Exhibition 'The Hidden Souls' = Whitestone Gallery Seoul hosts Taiwanese artist Demos Chiang's first solo exhibition in Korea, 'The Hidden Souls.' Born into a Taiwanese family with a deep academic background and educated in the West, the artist presents a new style of literati painting that blends Eastern and Western cultures in a contemporary way.

As the great-grandson of Chiang Kai-shek, the President of the Republic of China (Taiwan), the artist conveys profound observation and philosophical reflection on the world through agile mythical animals depicted with vivid colors and fluid lines. In 2021, he was invited as a key exhibiting artist at the 'Chengdu Biennale ? Super Fusion,' where his installation work received high artistic acclaim.

The artist primarily uses paint, acrylic, and ink, employing splashing and scraping techniques alongside various Western methods to create diverse textures and rich layers. Notably, his paintings feature poems inscribed in English alongside animals, representing his distinctive style that inherits the traditions of Chinese literati painting and calligraphy.

Demos Chiang exhibition poster.
[Photo by White Stone Gallery Seoul]

Additionally, having worked as a renowned designer and engaged in public art projects, he explores the transience of life and time through sculpture, adding depth and meaning to his works. In this exhibition, he focuses on spiritual animals such as dragons, unicorns, and black swans to explore deep inner resonance and emotional worlds, metaphorically expressing the hidden strength in lives easily overlooked or forgotten. The exhibition runs until June 9th at Whitestone Gallery, Sowol-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

Snow - The Path I Came, 2020, Ink and Color on Korean Paper, 204X295cm
[Photo courtesy of Seongbuk District Art Museum]

▲ Seongbuk-gu Art Museum Curated Exhibition 'Yoo Geun-taek: Only One Person' = Seongbuk-gu Art Museum presents a curated exhibition 'Yoo Geun-taek: Only One Person,' featuring Yoo Geun-taek, a representative artist of Korean contemporary art who has lived in Seongbuk-dong for over 20 years since 2003, making Seongbuk both the backdrop and foundation of his life and work. This exhibition, held at Seongbuk-gu Art Museum for the purpose of researching mid-career artists based in Seongbuk, is the first to focus on the relationship between Oriental painting and woodblock printing, highlighting Yoo Geun-taek's perspective and world regarding woodblock printing.

The exhibition introduces over 140 symbolic key woodblock works (including original woodblocks, woodblock prints, and objects made from wood chips carved from woodblocks) from the late 1980s to 2024, a large new series of works over 300 size that allow viewers to enjoy the landscapes of Seongbuk, and 15 paintings including unpublished works.

Night-Light, 2013, Woodblock, 25×35cm [Photo courtesy of Seongbuk District Art Museum]

The artist's works, which deal with very small everyday scenes and deeply capture contemporary reflections, provoke contemplation about humanity. A person exists as a whole individual but simultaneously is a vessel containing many people, air, time, and era. Each scene?from everyday objects, nature and cityscapes, family and surrounding people, to a single tree, a flower, or a wave?is contained within.

Imagining the museum as a space where these individuals gather quietly, the exhibition introduces the life and surrounding scenes of 'one person' existing across generations through the artist's works, which encompass various social facets from landscapes to family, people, and human psychology. The exhibition runs until June 23rd at Seongbuk-gu Art Museum, Seongbuk-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul.