[This Week's Exhibitions] Osang Kwon Solo Exhibition 'Simplexity', Korea Traditional Painting Association Special Exhibition, and More

Editor's NoteThis week's exhibitions feature a curated selection of diverse and captivating shows taking place across the country, all available to visit this week.

Exhibition view of Osang Kwon's solo exhibition 'Simplexity'. Photo by The Trinity

Osang Kwon Solo Exhibition 'Simplexity'

'Ilssangbiilsangui Teum by U+', a multi-purpose cultural space in Gangnam, Seoul operated by LG Uplus, is hosting contemporary artist Osang Kwon's solo exhibition, 'Osang Kwon's Simplexity: AI, Humanity, and Art.'

The exhibition's central theme, 'Simplexity,' signifies the fusion of simplicity and complexity. Osang Kwon's 'photo sculpture' technique, which involves deconstructing and recomposing countless two-dimensional photographs into three-dimensional sculptures, parallels the process of artificial intelligence, which analyzes vast amounts of data to produce optimal outcomes.

Regarding this, Kwon explains, "On the surface, it appears as a single form, but within it are hundreds of photographs and countless perspectives layered together." He adds, "Simplicity is only granted after fully passing through complexity, and this, in essence, defines the theme of simplexity."

Exhibition view of Osang Kwon's solo exhibition 'Simplexity'. Photo by The Trinity

The exhibition unfolds throughout the entire Teum venue (floors 1 to 4) under the theme of 'Conception-Birth-Return.' The first floor features the 'Air-mass' series and relief works, while the third floor showcases Kwon's signature 'Deodorant Type' series. On the fourth floor, mobile works demonstrate the expansion of his sculptural language. The second-floor 'Simply Studio' invites visitors to actively participate by becoming part of the artwork themselves or creating their own merchandise, such as keyrings.

In particular, to enhance immersion beyond visual appreciation, a selection of soundtracks curated by pop columnist Kim Taehun is provided, offering a rich auditory art experience. The exhibition runs until March 31 at Ilssangbiilsangui Teum by U+ in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

Still endures, 2026, Aluminium, 45(h) x 110(w) x 23.5(d) cm Photo by Edit Project

Jeong Geurim Solo Exhibition 'Within Mother Earth'

Edit Project presents 'Within Mother Earth,' a solo exhibition by artist Jeong Geurim. Jeong Geurim has expanded her practice across various domains, traversing the boundaries between three-dimensional and two-dimensional, function and sculpture, abstraction and figuration, working in sculpture, furniture, and installation. Centered on her new 'Les Feuilles Series,' this exhibition also introduces her representative 'Mono Series,' which forms the foundation of her work, offering a multifaceted view of her sculptural world.

Jeong Geurim's work begins with an exploration of the instinctive process of creating lines. The lines and their expansion, formed based on bodily sensations, are central to her practice. While the 'Mono Series,' which explores the spontaneous relationship between body and space through industrial materials, focuses on the physical tension and rhythm of lines, the 'Les Feuilles Series' expands this to encompass the cycles and temporality of nature.

The artist's lines emerge in response to the sensations at her fingertips, rather than from premeditated design. The works evoke the trajectories of stems spreading underground or leaves fluttering in the wind, occupying space in a balance between intention and chance. Through this process, industrial materiality is transformed into organic sculptures imbued with vitality through the artist's breath.

To cherish the light, 2026 PLA, Mixed media 70(h) x 50(w) x 23(d) cm. Photo by Edit Project

In particular, the 'Les Feuilles Series' condenses traces of nature that disappear over time into sculptural forms. Ephemeral shapes, like fallen leaves or fruit skins, are reconstituted as solid presences imbued with the materiality of nature, reminding us that humans, too, exist within the order of nature.

The artist approaches this work as a process of performative meditation, projecting reverence for the life force of nature through elemental materials such as earth, water, wind, and light. Audiences encounter the rhythms formed as lines, forms, materiality, and space intersect, intuitively sensing that humanity is part of nature's vast cycle. The exhibition runs until March 14 at Edit Project in Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

Kim Pulip, Gamrotang, 220x210 cm, Mosie with mineral pigments, 2025. Photo by Korea Traditional Painting Association

Korea Traditional Painting Association Special Exhibition 'Dream, the Second'

The Korea Traditional Painting Association is holding the special exhibition 'Dream, the Second' at Gallery Eun in Insadong. The exhibition space presents a wide spectrum of Korean traditional painting, including landscape paintings, Buddhist paintings, Gamrotang, and traditional craft objects.

Landscapes following the myriad forms of Mount Geumgang expand into spaces of contemplation, while the countless figures and scenes depicted in Gamrotang unfold narratives of life, death, and reincarnation. The symbolism of Buddhist painting and the artisanal sensibility of crafts coexist on canvas and in objects, demonstrating that tradition is not a fixed form but is continually reinterpreted in the language of the present.

Joo Ain, Geumgangsan Manmulchoseunggyeongdo, 120x542cm, Sample Silk Colors, 2025 Photo by Korean Traditional Painting Association

This exhibition is the second regular special exhibition following last year's inaugural show, aiming to re-examine the value and potential of traditional painting from a contemporary perspective. The works, based on diverse backgrounds and media, share the forms and spirit of tradition while expressing contemporary sensibilities through distinct visual languages.

The Korea Traditional Painting Association was founded mainly by graduates of the Department of Traditional Art and Craft at the Korea National University of Cultural Heritage, seeking to both preserve tradition and explore contemporary interpretations. The exhibition runs until February 9 at Gallery Eun in Insadong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.

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