Korean Art Exhibition by Four Artists
On the afternoon of July 7th, "The Gift of Plurality, Reaching Eternity - Korean Art Exhibition of Four Artists" opened at the CAFA Art Museum. Co-curated by Wang Chunchen, Deputy Director of CAFA Art Museum, and Kate Shin, founder of the Waterfall Art Foundation, the exhibition focuses on four Korean artists: Lee Jin Woo, Chang Jinwon, Lee Seung Hee, and Shin Youngho. Their works present a unique art form and their own national character, leading the audience to reflect on the conceptual meaning of transcendence and eternity in a rigorously repetitive creation. The following is a live report brought to you by Phoenix Art.
▲ "The Gift of Plurality, Reaching Eternity" - Opening Ceremony of the Exhibition of Four Korean Artists, CAFA Art Museum, 2024
On July 7th, "The Gift of Plurality, Reaching Eternity" - an exhibition of Korean art by four artists opened at the CAFA Art Museum in Beijing. Co-curated by Wang Chunchen, deputy director of CAFA Art Museum, and Kate Shin, founder of the Waterfall Art Foundation, the exhibition highlights four Korean artists: Lee Jin Woo, Chang Jinwon, Lee Seung Hee, and Shin Youngho.
At the opening ceremony, all Chinese and foreign guests were present to participate in the grand event. Jin Jun, Director of CAFA Art Museum, Gao Gao, Deputy Director of CAFA Art Museum, Kim Jin-gon, President of Korean Cultural Center, Lee Dong Im, Director of Beijing 798Cube Art Center, Maja Kolaric, Director of Serbian Contemporary Art Museum, Una Popovic, famous Serbian curator, and Philip Dodd, British curator Jonas Stampe, Senior Curator of Red Brick Art Museum, Xiao Ge, Director of Phoenix Center and Editor-in-Chief of Phoenix Art, Olivier Hervet, Partner of HdM Gallery, Jin Rilong, Dean of Nanhai Academy of Fine Arts and Professor of Central Academy of Fine Arts, Professor of Central Academy of Fine Arts, Famous Artist Chen Xi, Vice Dean of Graduate School of Central Academy of Fine Arts and Artist Wu Xiaohai, Director of Beijing Longmen Art District Management Committee Wang Lihua, Deputy General Manager of 798 Art District Yang Jinwei, Famous artist Dai Zengjun and others came to the scene.
▲ "The Gift of Plurality, Reaching Eternity" - The Opening Ceremony of the Korean Art Four-Persons Exhibition, Group Photo of Guests and Hosts, CAFA Art Museum, 2024
Through the use and practice of traditional media, four Korean artists embrace their cultural heritage and translate it into a contemporary and devotional expression. They demonstrate their art form and their own ethnicity through an extremely arduous creative process. Through rigorous repetition of their creations, these artists are reborn in what they expect, protest against, and celebrate. In this journey, their work offers a reflective path to approach the concepts of transcendence and eternity.
▲ Li Zhenyu, Untitled, 210x376cm, Hanji mixture, linen, 2009
"I think that just as it is necessary for human beings to be comforted and humbled in supporting other people, so should works of art. A painting should be soothed. I want my work to do that. ”
Lee draws inspiration from physical and mental exhaustion: his creations transform matter into abstraction by sanding layers of charcoal covered in linen and Korean paper. The Long River is a 5-metre-long painting that will make its public debut in China. Accompanied by a series of ink paintings depicting the beauty of China created in 2008, including 16 major works with the theme of "water", expressing hope for the Chinese land.
▲ Zhang Zhenyuan, "Between_11", 203x185.4cm, Korean ink, metallic pigment, acrylic, metal pen, pencil, Korean paper, 2019-2020
"In Michigan, I was surrounded by tall trees, white light penetrating the trees, and the wind blowing through the trees. I looked at the ever-changing Prussian blues and turquoises of Lake Michigan, the rippling waters, and the sky beneath the sky. Breathing, creating, and creating in such an environment, I discovered the intangible essence of truth, beauty, joy, and gratitude, and this is the shining moment I experienced there. I was able to reach a state of openness that I had never seen before. ”
Zhang Zhenyuan's meditative nature of his work involves the static and delicate layering of up to 40 layers of paint, revealing a deep connection to the regenerative nature of consciousness. His paintings explore a rich and diverse range of visual colors, which is his journey beyond perception to the light of eternity. On this basis, he has created 19 works that explore the nature of light, guiding the viewer beyond the mere visual and physical realms to explore the depths of darkness, shadow, and light.
▲ Lee Seung-hee, Pottery, 760x1760cm, ceramic, glaze, cyanide, 2014-2018
"I want to create works that have no traces of artificiality, not for persuasion, not for show-off, but never to give up communication. The process feels like a conversation with silence. Only after a long silence can an echo be heard. This collection is a work without ornamentation, symbols and portraits – there are only traces of time. The process is like walking through an unknown cave. However, I still have beliefs and dreams about my work, so I keep groping, hoping that one day a glimmer of light will suddenly appear. ”
Lee Seung-hee's early work demonstrated a mastery of complex materials, and his creations drove the shift from traditional ceramic craftsmanship to contemporary ceramic art and installation art. Lee Seung-hee's interactive bamboo installation consists of thousands of ceramic bamboo knots, a sea-like red bamboo forest designed to evoke the spirit of traditional ink painting. His new series, "Paper", explores the space between layers by bending and scraping the paper-thin surface of ceramic, demonstrating the potential of ceramics beyond their surface when cured. These works invite the viewer to reflect on the connectivity within ceramics and, in turn, to develop a deeper reverence for life.
▲ Shen Yeonghao, Nomadic 008, 200x426cm, ink on paper, 2024
"The practice of ink painting is not just a technique or style in art." "Ink painting" is derived from the traditions and history of the East, and it is not a contemporary aesthetic. My Liquid Painting series attempts to collect these associations and traditional practices related to ink and recontextualize them in the context of the current era. ”
Shin's ink painting is derived from his study of traditional oriental calligraphy techniques as a scholar. He delves into the fundamental elements of painting and puts a modern interpretation of tradition that redefines the art of calligraphy and ink painting. Shin emphasises that the rhythmic flow of the brushstrokes, like the rhythm of breathing, symbolizes the restoration of life, and each stroke becomes a kind of meditation, like the air itself. His famous series, Nomad, is a reflection on the survival of modernity through the limited perspective of ants. Among the 18 works in this exhibition, Shin Yeong-ho's reimagining of the ink tradition will lead the viewer to reflect on the nature of life and the passage of time.
▲ Gao Gao, Deputy Director of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, CAFA Art Museum, 2024
The opening ceremony was presided over by Deputy Director Gao Gao. At the opening ceremony, Jin Jun, Director of CAFA Art Museum, said in his speech that the works of the four artists in this exhibition all reflect the in-depth research and practice of traditional media, as well as the love and inheritance of their own cultural heritage, and at the same time integrate personal thoughts and perceptions of modern life, showing the vitality and creativity of Korean contemporary art.
Director Jin Jun emphasized that Chinese and Korean cultures have both commonalities and their own characteristics. Artists from both countries attach great importance to the inheritance and development of traditions, but they are also constantly innovating and developing. This exhibition provides a window into Korean contemporary art and a new platform for cultural exchanges between China and South Korea.
▲ At the opening ceremony, Jin Jun, Director of CAFA Art Museum, CAFA Art Museum, 2024
In his opening remarks, Kim Jin-gon, President of the Korean Cultural Center, said that this exhibition will not only broaden the horizons of cultural exchanges between the two countries, but also become a milestone in promoting the development of bilateral relations through culture. In addition, he also looks forward to further expanding the exchanges and cooperation between CAFA and Korean institutions through this invitational exhibition.
▲ At the opening ceremony, Kim Jin-gon, President of the Korean Cultural Center, delivered a speech, CAFA Art Museum, 2024
Wang Chunchen, deputy director of the CAFA Art Museum and curator of the exhibition, talked about the significance of the Korean exhibition in his speech. He said that the exhibition presents the transformation process of Korean art from tradition to modernity, and it can be said that the aesthetic perspective of oriental art, which has the characteristics of Korean cultural aesthetics, has been transformed today, allowing us to see a different look of the works. Both traditional and contemporary; There is both the past and the present. Each artist has his own characteristics, and carries forward his own cultural characteristics to the extreme, which is worth learning, learning from and referring to each other.
▲ At the opening ceremony, Wang Chunchen, deputy director of CAFA Art Museum and curator of the exhibition, delivered a speech, CAFA Art Museum, 2024
▲ At the opening ceremony, Wang Chunchen, deputy director of CAFA Art Museum and curator of the exhibition, delivered a speech, CAFA Art Museum, 2024
Kate Shin, President of the Waterfall Art Foundation and curator of the exhibition, said in her speech that the exhibition hopes to bridge the cultural divide, promote the establishment of a platform for mutual understanding, and promote exchanges and solidarity between the two countries through the universal language of art. In the exhibition, one can feel that the four outstanding Korean artists do not end with their creations, but see them as a bridge to the unknown, both as infinite possibilities beyond life and death.
▲ At the opening ceremony, Kate Shin, President of the Waterfall Art Foundation and curator of the exhibition, CAFA Art Museum, 2024
Li Zhenyu, an artist participating in the exhibition, said in his speech that China, as one of the birthplaces of world culture, has become an important land for people's livelihood and prosperity through ancient times. Culture and art should not be antagonistic, hostile or competitive, but complementary, exchanged, and a platform for reaching consensus on the existing mutual understanding. Some of the modern art of Korea presented in this exhibition is expected to play an important role in the grand historical context.
▲ At the opening ceremony, Korean artist Lee Jin-woo speaks, CAFA Art Museum, 2024
In his speech, the participating artist Shin Yeong-ho said that when faced with art, society, politics and other issues, people should strive to understand and learn from each other, and the exhibition provides a platform for communication, feeling and learning, which is of great significance to the times.
▲ At the opening ceremony, Korean artist Shin Yeong-ho speaks, CAFA Art Museum, 2024
▲ Group photo of guests and hosts at the opening ceremony, CAFA Art Museum, 2024
▲ At the opening ceremony, Korean artist Lee Jin-woo and members of the agency gallery HdM Gallery, CAFA Art Museum, 2024
Exhibition view
▲ "The Gift of Plurality, Reaching Eternity" - Opening Ceremony of the Exhibition of Four Korean Artists, CAFA Art Museum, 2024
Participating Artists
Li Zhenyu
South Korean artist, he has lived in Paris, France since 1986 and studied at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He is widely regarded as one of the leading figures of the new generation of Korean artists who were influenced by the monochrome movement after Park Seo-bok and Lee U-hwan. Lee's delicate layering process often uses transparent hanji and charcoal, which are transformed into deeper condensations through repetitive labor and mental exhaustion. In his paintings, charcoal is wrapped in layers of transparent Korean paper, and the painstaking and repetitive vigorous drag of a metal brush creates a rough relief-like texture on the surface, pointing to the possible inner landscape. This repetitive scraping of charcoal and the alchemic spirit in it give Lee Jin-woo's work a state of silence.
▲ Lee Jin-woo, Untitled, 141x199cm, Han-paper mixture, linen, 2024
▲ Lee Jin-woo, Untitled, 221x140cm, Hanji mixture, linen, 2024
Zhang Zhenyuan
Korean artist, who studied traditional Korean painting and moved to New York in 2004. While studying in Korea, Jang Jin-won chose to use ink and Japanese pigments (known as Bunchae in Korean) to create works on Korean paper. Three years after moving to the United States, Jang gave up traditional Korean painting techniques and began to use rollers and spatulas, combining acrylic and charcoal. He then combined traditional Korean methods with contemporary abstract creation, using ink, acrylic, metallic lacquer, charcoal, and pigment pens to create works on Korean paper.
▲ Jang Jin-won, "Glory_6", 189 x 183cm, Korean ink, metallic pigment, acrylic, metal pen, pencil, Korean paper, 2023
▲ Zhang Zhenyuan, "Timing_19", 270 x 197cm, Korean ink, metallic pigment, acrylic, metal pen, pencil, Korean paper, 2021
Lee Seung-hee
Born in 1960 in Cheongju, the capital of North Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea, he studied pottery, fiber crafts, dyeing and tapestry making in Korea before heading to Jingdezhen, China. Throughout his 35-year career, Lee Seung-hee has been at the forefront of the contemporary ceramic art world, challenging people's perceptions of ceramic art. Using delicate materials, he has led the way in innovation from traditional ceramic art to contemporary ceramic painting and installation. Lee Seung-hee emphasizes schema, materials, and colors to allow viewers to directly connect his contemporary creations with the rich Asian ceramic tradition. His work highlights the importance of soil and ground, with a focus on ceramics and explores the proposition of regeneration.
▲ Lee Seung-hee, 8 mm Space, 113x57cm, ceramic, glaze, 2024
▲ Lee Seung-hee, "Pottery-Moon Bottle", 92x83cm, ceramic, glaze, 2024
Shin Yeong-ho
He is a scholar and Korean artist specializing in ink painting. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees in Chinese painting from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, as well as doctoral studies in comparative painting and calligraphy. Since 2011, he has been exploring the core principles of traditional oriental techniques, namely ink painting. Questioning the foundations of painting and its contemporary interpretation of tradition, he delved into the art of calligraphy, emphasizing the rhythm of the breath to symbolize the eternal cycle of life.
▲ Shen Yaohao, Growth 03, 630x150cm, ink on paper, 2024
▲ Shen Yeonghao, Bloom 12, 150x150cm, ink on paper, 2024
Exhibition Information:
The Gift of Plurality, Reaching Eternity - Korean Art Exhibition of Four Artists
Rituals of Repetition: Portals to Eternity
Exhibition time: July 7 to August 25, 2024
Exhibition Venue: Exhibition Hall B, 3rd Floor, CAFA Art Museum
Organizer: CAFA Art Museum
Exhibition Support: Waterfall Art Foundation
Exhibition Director: Jin Jun, Han Wenchao
Exhibition Coordinator: Gao Gao
Curators: Wang Chunchen and Kate Shen
策展助理：金简如 易玥 Angelica Ferreris
Exhibition Design: Sung Hwan Park
(Phoenix Art Beijing Report Editor/Zhu Yining Editor-in-Charge/Sophie)
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