How nature is viewed by artists
Three galleries in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, open new exhibitions
Here is a selection of three exhibitions that opened this week in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, that you might consider checking out this weekend as temperatures rise back above freezing.
Nature interpreted in different ways at Galerie Eva Presenhuber, P21
The exhibition 'Perpetual World' is the fourth solo exhibition -- and the first in Seoul -- by Iowa-based artist John Dilg, whose work is presented in a dedicated showroom located in Yongsan-gu. Inspired by nature, the paintings create a tranquil and comforting atmosphere. Dilg draws on his experiences in his native American Midwest, encompassing metaphors and abstractions in his paintings. The exhibition, at Galerie Eva Presenhuber pop-up showroom (74 Hoenamu-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul) runs through March 30 and is open by appointment.
About 70 meters down the street is P21 gallery, which is showing the exhibition 'Land of Origins' by two emerging artists -- sculptor Lee Chung-kook and painter Jo Han-na. Both artists explore the theme of life, each expressing it through different materials and methods to reveal fundamental similarities between nature and the human interior.
Jo's paintings, featuring multiple layers of points, give an impression of viewing the inside of the human body or organs. At the same time, they are reminiscent of roots grabbing onto the earth. Lee creates 3D-printed volumetric sculptures of plants, vines, spider webs and tentacle mosquitoes. 'A sculpture gives a context of the space once it is put on there. That is why I make sculptures,' the artist told reporters Wednesday during a press viewing.
Alvaro Barrington at Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery
The exhibition 'Soul to Seoul' at Thaddaeus Ropac Seoul introduces London-based artist Alvaro Barrington to Korea for the first time. The artist draws on his experience growing up in the Caribbean, blending his personal memories with art-historical references, according to the gallery.
Frequently using burlap canvases, the artist takes motifs and techniques from cultural influences of his early life in Grenada in the Caribbean and Brooklyn, New York. The works shown at the exhibition, such as 'NHC 2024/Mangrove Sunset (L10),' reference quilt-making techniques and the Caribbean history of artistic expression through fabric and sewing.
'Art is about learning how to be, painting is about what is in front of you, it is about learning to see,' the artist once said about his art. The exhibition runs through April 12. The gallery is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
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