Latest news with #AlvaroBarrington
Korea Herald
15-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
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 The artist draws on his experience growing up in the Caribbean, blending his personal memories with art-historical references, according to the gallery.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.
Korea Herald
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Alvaro Barrington' burlap paintings memories of his mother, aunts
Artist's first solo exhibition in Seoul shows 14 paintings from annual Notting Hill Carnival. When looking at works by Alvaro Barrington, viewers may notice the stories his works tell about how his upbringing and life has exposed him to different cultures in New York, the Caribbean and the UK, as well as the art masters that influenced him. His 'Soul to Seoul' exhibition at Thaddaeus Ropac gallery in Seoul — his first solo exhibition in the city — presents 14 paintings on burlap canvases that Barrington sews together, depicting his impression of a sun setting over the horizon. The quilt-making technique he used for the works on view was influenced by his mother and aunts as he grew up watching them quilting. His mother passed away when he was 10, the artist said. 'If my aunt sees this, she will think about how this is sewn, more than she thinks about like how I could have painted it,' the artist said at the gallery on Friday. He said it took some three weeks to sew different types of burlap together to become a canvas. When it comes to burlap — which is common in other countries and used in different contexts — he said the fabric was used in the Caribbean to pack and export things such as cacao. 'I think there is something powerful about — whatever the culture is — that we all could see the same painting and know exactly what we are seeing, so in a way — despite the differences — we could all come together and start a conversation,' he said. Paintings featured in the exhibition show different features on the upper and lower parts of the canvas, with a central a horizon line. The upper parts are painted with a spray, an influence from seeing graffiti while growing up in New York. The lower parts are created by taking references from art masters such as Etel Adnan (1925-2021), Henri Matisse (1869-1954) and Helen Frankenthaler (1928-2011). 'It is a bit of a funny game that I played with myself,' he said. The body of work shown at the exhibition was conceived for London's Notting Hill Carnival in 2024, a two-day event that celebrates Caribbean culture through music, dance and food. He has collaborated with the annual Notting Hill Carnival since 2019, according to the gallery. Barrington said he was excited to meet Korean audiences for his first presentation in Seoul. 'I was really excited to be here and explore culture. Korea right now feels like it is exporting culture, if you think about Squid Game. I came here listening to music by Korean singer Rose,' he said. The exhibition in Seoul runs through April 12.
