Cho Sung Hee, Deep green blossom, 2015, mixed media, 72 x 60 cm
In the spring of art, old forms get revisited by artists who rewrought and breathe life into what was once staid into ingenious statements of postmodern expressionism. In Eternal Spring, a showcase of two of South Korean’s brightest talents in its fine arts scene, we see old forms take on new dimensions, through materials that are unconventional on medias that are inventive, breaking new grounds on the old-new divide.
Cho Sung-Hee’s textured minimalist works combine traditional Korean sensibility with the aesthetic aims of Dansaekhwa, the Monochrome art movement that burgeoned in 1960s Korea. In a labour-intensive and time-consuming process, she trims delicate circles from Korean mulberry paper or hanji, and repetitively applies them to a coloured surface. The painstaking process draws attention to the material qualities of hanji, and the resulting three-dimensional piece evokes the beauty of nature, calling to mind blooming petals and freshly fallen blossoms.
Lee Gil Rae has followed nature as his muse, crafting intricate, organic, tree-form sculptures from steel and copper pipes. He has spent more than twenty years perfecting delicate branches made of copper rings and lengths of pipe. The complexity of these organic shapes, inspired by the pine trees in ancient wood cuts, exude a certain poetry and lightness that contrast with the industrial materials he uses. These metal trees thus raise questions relating to deforestation and the environmental crisis provoked by the industrial era.
Collectively, the works of both artists breathe renewal and regeneration into traditional art forms that have permeated the Korean culture for centuries. Through them and the discourse they have raised on the evolution and continuity of the Korea’s art seasons, a new spring has thus begun.
Venue: Opera Gallery, 2 Orchard Turn, #02-16 ION Orchard, Singapore 238801
Hours: Monday – Friday: 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
Saturday & Sunday: 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
When: 28 Jun - 14 Jul 2019,
