.avif)
Title
Between Surface and Presence
Artist
Exhibition Period
Between Surface and Presence brings together works by five Korean artists whose practices explore the shifting relationship between what is seen and what is sensed.
Across painting, sculpture, and abstraction, the exhibition examines how presence is not fixed, but emerges through material, perception, and time.
The artists engage surface not as a decorative boundary, but as an active site where light, texture, gesture, and form register moments of existence. Some works foreground physical immediacy through meticulously rendered or sculpted forms, while others invite slower contemplation, revealing presence through reflection, depth, or spatial tension. In this interplay, surface becomes a threshold—where visibility meets memory, and material encounters perception.
Rather than offering singular narratives, the exhibition unfolds as a constellation of visual experiences that ask viewers to reconsider how presence is constructed and perceived. What does it mean to encounter an image or object not only by looking, but by sensing its weight, absence, or resonance?
Between Surface and Presence invites audiences to dwell in this in-between space, where meaning arises through attention, proximity, and the act of seeing itself.
Artist
Lee Yong Deok, born in Seoul in 1956, is a prominent South Korean sculptor known for his striking “inverted sculptures” that play with visual perception and spatial illusion. He studied sculpture at Seoul National University, where he earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees, before continuing his artistic training at the Berlin University of the Arts under the Meisterschüler program. Emerging in the mid-1980s, Lee was part of a new wave of Korean artists who pushed beyond the dominant Dansaekhwa movement, reintroducing figurative elements into contemporary art. His work often explores the tension between opposites, such as inner and outer, light and shadow, prompting viewers to question what is real and what is imagined.
Lee has exhibited internationally, with solo shows in major institutions like the Schulmuseum in Berlin and the National Museum of China. His 2018 exhibition “Indivisibility” at Arario Gallery in Cheonan delved into philosophical themes of unity and perception, drawing on ancient ideas from thinkers like Parmenides. In addition to his studio practice, Lee has made a lasting impact on Korean art education, serving as both professor and dean at Seoul National University’s College of Fine Arts. He has received several major honors, including the Kim Sechoong Sculpture Award and the Moonshin Art Award, reflecting the depth of his influence on the contemporary art world.
Experience the captivating conversation between artist GwangMo Ku and the canvas. Witness the mesmerizing dance of Kyeongmi Heo within a transforming artwork. While our camera couldn’t capture the energy, prepare to be amazed by this extraordinary spectacle.
Formally trained in photography at the prestigious Kaywon School of Art and Design in Korea, Kwang Mo is a highly accomplished artist. He received the 13th Young Photographer’s Prize during the renowned Daegu Photo Biennale and was selected for the esteemed SeMA Support Program by the Seoul Art Museum in 2010. Additionally, Mo was nominated for the prestigious Prix Pictet award in France in the same year.
Mo’s talent shines through his sepia-tinted photographs showcased in “New Photography in Korea II”. His images skillfully blur the line between fantasy and reality, inviting viewers into a world where childhood memories and dreams intertwine. Through his manipulation of imagery, Mo creates timeless, limitless universes that his captivating characters embrace with ease. Prepare to be transported into otherworldly spaces where imagination knows no bounds.
With a background in Fine Art from Kyungbook University in Daegu, Korea, and having also completed a graduate course in the same department, Yoon’s talent and passion for art are undeniable. Since 2003, his works have been showcased in prestigious international fairs such as the Shanghai Art Fair, Singapore Art Fair, Dubai Art Fair, Taipei Art Fair, and Miami Art Fair. Yoon has also been a part of notable group exhibitions, including ‘The truth about the six rooms’ at the Savina Museum of Art in 2006, ‘Illusion/Disillusion’ at the Seoul Museum of Art in 2006, ‘The flow – Daegu’s artists’ at the Posco Museum in 2006, and the KCAF Korean Contemporary Art exhibition at the Seoul Art Center in 2005.
Yoon’s talent has been recognized through awards, such as the Special Prize in the 12th Grand Exhibition of Korea in 1993 and the First Prize in the 18th Grand Exhibition of Daegu Art in 1998. His works have even been admired and collected by the National Museum of Modern Art, Daegu District Publ. Prepare to be captivated by Yoon’s exceptional artistic vision and skill.
Discover the captivating world of Young-Ha Park, a renowned Korean Asian Modern & Contemporary painter. Born in 1954 and a graduate of Hongik University, Park has a unique artistic style that truly brings the traditional mud-plastered walls of Korean rural houses to life.
Through the use of matieres techniques, Park adds a tactile quality to his paintings, blending fine sand, gold dust, and stone powders to create mesmerizing textures. With the help of metal scrubbers and rustic tools, he skillfully layers these materials, resulting in an awe-inspiring visual experience.
Nature serves as Park’s greatest muse, and he skillfully captures its essence in an abstract manner. Prepare to be transported to a world where art and nature intertwine, as you explore the captivating works of Young-Ha Park.
