[Exhibitions of the Week] Jun Choi 'Inevitable Encounter' · Kim Youngna Solo Exhibition 'Easy Heavy' and More

Editor's NoteThis week's exhibitions introduce a variety of attractive shows from across the country that can be experienced over the course of one week.

▲ Jun Choi Solo Exhibition 'Inevitable Encounter, Serendipity' = Duson Gallery presents a solo exhibition by photographer Jun Choi titled 'Inevitable Encounter, Serendipity.' This exhibition encompasses the artistic and life journey the artist has walked, focusing on his representative work, 'Buddha in Meditation' (Bangasayusang).

BANGASAYUSANG 2 (small)_Archival Pigment Print_Hahnem?hle Photo Rag Baryta Paper_46.6 x 70cm
Photo by Duson Gallery

The artist's photographs of 'Buddha in Meditation' capture various perspectives of the Bangasayusang, a masterpiece of Buddhist sculpture and a national treasure of Korea. From the close-up of the smiling face, the side view of the meditating half-cross-legged posture, to the back view revealing the curved shoulders, the artist illuminates the beautiful form of the Bangasayusang with his own delicate sensibility.

During a period of deep reflection on his photographic life, the artist discovered a profound state of enlightenment through an inner dialogue with the Bangasayusang. He describes that time as a decisive moment in his life. He focuses on the roughened surface of the Bangasayusang, accumulated over 1,500 years, projecting the layers of scars onto his own life.

Bangasayusang_Limited_Edition_Artwork. [Photo by Duson Gallery]

This exhibition vividly introduces the world of 'Buddha in Meditation' that the artist has explored. It presents both the original works featuring the pure subject of the Bangasayusang and transformed works created using AI programs, allowing viewers to see the past, present, and imagined future of the Bangasayusang in one space. This exhibition, which proposes a new beauty combining classical aesthetics and contemporary interpretation, offers a contemplative time to fully face oneself by examining the diverse aspects of the Bangasayusang. The exhibition runs until June 20 at Duson Gallery, Deoksugung-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul.

Yoonhee Lee, bread and eggs, 2024, Porcelain, 120 x 60 x 65 cm
[Photo by Lina Gallery Seoul]

▲ Yoonhee Lee & Kwanghoon Jo '1,250℃' Exhibition = Lina Gallery presents the '1,250℃' exhibition featuring artists Yoonhee Lee and Kwanghoon Jo. This exhibition showcases numerous terracotta sculptures.

Terracotta, derived from Latin or Italian, means 'something made by baking clay.' While terracotta works are commonly associated with ceramic forms created by enduring specific temperatures and times in a kiln, this exhibition explores stories about 'human desires, deficiencies, life, and death' observable in everyday life.

Yoonhee Lee's works are characterized by smooth white surfaces adorned with intricately drawn golden patterns. Through the arrangement of grotesque motifs, the artist symbolically expresses human 'life' and 'death.' In the exhibition, the 'La divina commedia' series narrates humanity's history, sins, and reflections. The artist compresses human narratives into his works while evoking sublimity through precise and detailed depictions.

Kwangho Cho, A sulky boy, 2023, Ceramics, 31.5 x 57 x 38(h) cm
[Photo by Lina Gallery Seoul]

Kwanghoon Jo, through depictions of contemporary human figures, poses questions and reflections on 'true happiness.' This exhibition presents works expressing 'groups of people' observed at swimming pools. The artist discovered feelings of humanity and warmth in the swimming pool and translated these into visual language. Additionally, by juxtaposing the 'buoyancy' felt underwater with the 'gravity' experienced on land, the artist continuously questions reality.

By focusing on warm stories occurring around us and the inner voices within, the exhibition offers an opportunity for reflection on human history and true happiness. The exhibition runs until June 19 at Lina Gallery Seoul, Nonhyeon-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

Installation view of Kim Youngna's solo exhibition 'Easy Heavy'. [Photo courtesy of Kukje Gallery Busan]

▲ Youngna Kim Solo Exhibition 'Easy Heavy' = Kukje Gallery presents Youngna Kim's solo exhibition 'Easy Heavy' at its Busan branch. Since 2011, Kim has continuously explored intriguing points arising when designers use the language of art. In this process, he breaks down the boundaries between design and art, expanding both fields, and seeks to redefine the language of visual arts and the context of exhibitions through self-referential acts rooted in his design work. This first solo exhibition showcases about 40 recent works including paintings, flat works, sculptures, and murals, aiming to explore the expressive possibilities and effectiveness of graphic design elements developed within the exhibition space.

As a graphic designer, the artist has worked on projects with brands like COS and Herm?s, as well as museum art shops, paying attention to unique stories that arise when objects and materials are placed in unexpected contexts. "What effects can be achieved when familiar objects and events with design elements are arranged in new times and spaces?" Starting from a design perspective, the artist's question enters the realm of contemporary art and exhibition contexts, reaching a new phase.

Installation view of Kim Youngna's solo exhibition 'Easy Heavy'. [Photo by Kukje Gallery Busan Branch]

By assuming a mutually referential relationship between the exhibition wall?a 'strange' space for designers?and printed surfaces, he stages situations where design practice intervenes in the art institution. Thus, his work adds layers among various visual art genres such as art, design, architecture, and craft, allowing viewers to discover new aesthetic possibilities where graphic design expands its role beyond mere functional expression to become a symbol interpreting culture.

The exhibition title 'Easy Heavy' refers to a collection of objects that appear light but are by no means light. Graphic design is usually considered collectible due to its mass-producibility, like souvenirs, but the artist samples and re-edits these collected images to reproduce them in completely different ways or uses them as visual language evoking various elements related to the exhibition environment, sometimes acting as a weighty catalyst. The exhibition is divided into two main spaces: the first showcases the artist's representative series, and the second introduces recent works that re-edit visual language commonly encountered in daily life to attempt new communication. The exhibition runs until June 30 at Kukje Gallery Busan, Gurak-ro, Mangmi 2-dong, Suyeong-gu, Busan.