Crimson Élan Vital

Renason

Gala of élan vital (26S-5), Mixed media on canvas, 60.6 x 72.7 cm, 2026

As Gallery We’s first exhibition of the new year, Gallery We Cheongdam presents Crimson Élan Vital – A Leap of Red Life, a solo exhibition by Son Jin-hyoung, in celebration of the Year of the Red Horse, 2026. This exhibition revisits the concept of élan vital—the vital force the artist has explored over an extended period—placing it once again within the temporal context of 2026 and the symbolic figure of the red horse. At the threshold of a new year, the exhibition invites us to reflect on where the energy of life originates and how it begins to move again.

Volcanic Élan Vital (Crimson), Mixed media on canvas, 162.2×130.3 cm, 2026

The horse that appears in Son Jin-hyoung’s paintings is not merely an image or a symbolic motif. It embodies the peace and virtue of the mythological creature Qilin, while also serving as a long-standing companion to humanity—one that evokes a sensibility of life itself. Through the form of the horse, the artist summons sensations that humanity has gradually lost: the warmth of life and the inner rhythm obscured by the logic of speed and efficiency.

Gala of élan vital (25M-8), Mixed media on canvas, 162.2×130.3 cm, 2025

This exhibition draws particular attention to the color crimson. While red often conjures associations with fire, blood, life, and energy, in Son’s paintings it is neither ostentatious nor exhausted. Instead, it is condensed within deep layers of color, functioning as a quiet yet enduring temperature of life. This restrained intensity suggests a latent energy, like a volcano at rest, capable of leaping forth at any moment, extending the tension between stillness and movement throughout the exhibition space.

Gala of élan vital (25S-8), Mixed media on canvas, 90.9 x 72.7 cm, 2025

Within this context, the Gallery We Cheongdam space is conceived as a field of breathing. As visitors encounter the steady gaze of the horses, they naturally slow their pace and find themselves lingering before the paintings. This experience moves beyond simply viewing the works, becoming a sensory act of dwelling with them. The exhibition is structured to gently guide each visitor toward rediscovering their own rhythm.

Gala of élan vital (25M-7), Mixed media on canvas, 162.2×130.3 cm, 2025

The temporal symbol of the Year of the Red Horse functions here not as a prophecy or omen, but as a metaphor for beginning again. Rather than presenting a complete or conclusive message, Son Jin-hyoung’s paintings reveal a state of life still in the midst of its leap. Imperfect yet alive, wavering yet advancing, this movement closely resembles our own condition in the present moment.

Gala of élan vital (25M-8), Mixed media on canvas, 162.2×130.3 cm, 2025

Crimson Élan Vital – A Leap of Red Life chooses quiet questions over grand declarations. Through this exhibition, we hope that each visitor may sense the energy of life at their own pace and discover the impulse to take another step forward. May the small leap that begins in this space continue naturally into the rhythms of everyday life.

Gallery We

We, 25-17, Hosu-ro 52beon-gil, Suji-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea

031 266 3266

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