ARARIO GALLERY will be participating in KIAF Seoul 2023 taking place from 7 to 10 September. The gallery plans to present various mediums, paintings, sculptures, and photographs in both Frieze Seoul and KIAF Seoul.
At the KIAF booth, ARARIO GALLERY will focus on introducing sculptors who have left significant footprints in the history of Korean modern sculpture. First, UM Tai-Jung, the representative of Korea's first-generation abstract sculpture, will present his new work Magic Gate along with his drawing works. Since being fascinated by the materiality of iron in the 1960s, UM Tai-Jung has continued to explore materials and substances, specialising in metal sculptures. He has showcased sculptures with abstract forms that prominently display contrasting colours and textures of internal and external materials, works reflecting the forms of traditional Korean wooden furniture and crossbeams, and sculptures that focus more on formative qualities using aluminium plates and steel frames as main materials.
Meanwhile, RYU In's Entering the Mountain II (1987) attracts attention, inheriting the tradition of figurative modern sculpture while introducing innovative expressions. RYU In has explored the human body using the volume and weight of sculpture, and the physical properties of materials, while also introducing formality in his works through bold omission and distortion of body parts, and dramatic emphasis. He majored in sculpture at Hongik University and its graduate school, and has built a reputation as a unique artist in Korean modern figurative sculpture by handling the human body in traditional ways while using modern expressions. He was awarded the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism's 'Young Artist of Today' award in 1993 and has left monumental works in 20th-century Korean sculpture history.
Sculptures by GWON Osang, who has received international attention for his comprehensive experimentation in contemporary sculpture, will also be on display. GWON has consistently questioned the identity of sculpture and sought new formative structures through experimental medium convergence. The booth will exhibit his various works that explore the ontology of sculpture, including the 'Deodorant Type' and 'Relief' series. Sculptures by DON Sunpil, who is gaining attention for his youthful and innovative sculptures on subculture themes, will be displayed. DON has captured the social and cultural phenomena surrounding figures in his work, demonstrating a unique, meticulous, and obsessive spirit of inquiry and affection.
In addition, works by established artists who are actively working in galleries, art museums, and commercial spaces will be exhibited. These include WON Seoung Won's large-scale photographic works, which transform hundreds of precisely collaged photos into painting-like images; PARK Wunggyu's 'Dummy' series, which incorporates negativity and negative emotions into the form of paintings based on oriental painting; and LEE Jeongbae's contemporary landscape work, where the sculptural flat surface is painted layer upon layer hundreds of times.
Lastly, works by LEE Seung Ae, who gained attention at the last Gwangju Biennale and her recent solo exhibition The Wanderer at ARARIO Gallery Seoul, female abstract painters KOO Jiyoon and LIANG Manqi, and paintings by AHN Jisan, CHOI Byungso, LEE Jihyun, Kohei NAWA, NOH Sangho, Yuki SAEGUSA, and SIM Raejung will be on display.
Venue
COEX 1F, Hall A, B & Grand Ballroom
Address
513 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 06164, Republic of Korea
Arario Gallery represents these artists: