2022. 4. 7 – 5. 14
Joolee Kang, Kang Junyoung, You Jiin, Lee Yunhee, Cho Minah, Cha Seungean

ATELIER AKI will exhibit ‘RECONSTRUCTION OF RELATIONSHIP’ from April 7 to May 14, 2022, presenting the works of six unique artists who are recognized for their own unprecedented interpretation in the art world

Over the past year, social interactions have minimized and the world shut down as we entered an era of the untact New Normal. ‘RECONSTRUCTION OF RELATIONSHIP’ sheds light on the importance of face-to-face relationships amidst times of limited interaction. In this exhibition, ATELIER AKI will present 20 major works by contemporary Korean artists Joolee Kang, Kang Junyoung, Lee Yunhee, You Jiin, Cho Minah, and Cha Seungean, who have explored and initiated a discourse on relationships through various media via art. ‘RECONSTRUCTION OF RELATIONSHIP’ is an opportunity to explore the narratives of relationships that the six artists have built in the current age of Korean contemporary art.

Joolee Kang focuses on the inevitable relationship between humans and nature; the ecosystem; and evolution or mutations of living organisms in pursuit of survival. Her drawings and mixed installations are an attempt to express the intricate relationships between humans and nature that arise in the ‘evolution’ and ‘adaptation’ of species, which become ‘classified’ and ‘exist’ in the wake of time. Through the layering of short, thin lines that build the dense pen drawings, Kang interprets the complex interaction between humans and nature from various perspectives, thus exploring our potential and dignity as human beings in the world. Furthermore, Kang’s work presents a different approach to viewing living and nonliving organisms, once deemed as subjects of exploitation and usage, to that of a more prevalent experience.

One of the main themes that runs through Kang Junyoung’s work is ‘family’. The artist unravels the relationships between family members and human emotions born within families as the main basis of his work. For those of us who live in the present world with a somewhat fragmented concept of the home and family, Kang’s work nudges us to rethink the facets of love, such as rest and comfort, obtained mainly through the connection found in one’s family. In particular, the artist uses matière technique to constitute layers of thick materials in order to reveal the intensity of subjective emotions onto the canvas, thus allowing viewers to engage in the work intuitively.

Lee Yunhee builds up her original narratives using ceramic sculptures with elaborate, delicate shapes and bold patterns. The artist deals with the overarching elements of life, such as life and death, through reflecting upon religious stories and mythologies. As medieval artists delivered biblical messages by using metaphors and symbols, Lee refers to < La Divina Commedia >, the series inspired by ‘Divine Comedy’ by Dante in order to construct her own narrative. Derived from this motif, the artist demonstrates how the girl heals her anxieties and desires on a journey of life, attaining a peaceful state of mind, and finally finding her true self. Hence, the story unfolds itself by following the journey of a protagonist without “a complete self”, living and exploring an idealized world. Further, the artist hands over the interpretation of the girl’s identity to the audience, thus expanding the universe of the girl’s narrative. In essence, the work deconstructs the narrative of < La Divina Commedia > and the identity of the girl, while at the same time completes a new, unique story of < La Divina Commedia > reconstructed by the viewers.

Artist You Jiin goes beyond simple shape or form in presenting messages that reflect the ideology of and relationship between South and North Korea. Her work is created via visualizing symbolic objects of oppression and violence overlayed and carefully placed with controversial texts onto a mirror. The distorted images in the fragmented mirror reveal the true face of our society and through the use of reflective surfaces on the mirror, draws forth a deep interaction with the audience by crawling into the consciousness of the audience.

Rooted in Oriental paintings, artist Cho Minah portrays the complexities of the world — conflict and division, unity and solidarity — with a contemplative gaze, presenting it upon an image in an allegorical scene. The artist’s works focus not on the person, but the relationship among the objects on the screen. Her works are multifaceted with multiple attitudes and conclusions: at times, her works pleasantly caricatures reality through the layers of narratives brought in by social relationships, while at others, sends a piercing message of realization. Moreover, the artist calls upon the viewers to establish a connection with characters in the works by finding self-portraits of oneself in the shown society, hence inducing a more immersive viewing experience.

Cha Seungean explores a new realm of art through the method of weaving in reference to Korean and Western modern abstract paintings. The artist delicately weaves weft and warp yarns to intersect with each other, reflecting the iconography of modern and contemporary abstract painting. The weft and warp threads coexist in harmony with each other. Through the two threads’ intricate and calculated interactions, the artist unravels the disturbed times and experiences of the past and sets a new standard for contemporary visual art. In particular the artist’s unique transformative work method, which recognizes the canvas itself as a work rather than the ground for painting, elevates the discursive value of the material of textiles in a new way.

ATELIER AKI
1F Galleria Forêt 32-14, Seoulsup 2-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, Korea
+82 2 464 7710

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