Press Release

ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL presents Surging Waves, a solo exhibition by LEE Eunsil (b. 1983), on view from Wednesday 17 December to Saturday 31 January 2026. Working within the tradition of Korean painting, LEE has explored the complex emotions and inner oscillations that emerge at the intersection of personal desire and social norms, approaching them with an observant and analytical gaze.

This exhibition examines the psychological, physical, and social transformations experienced through the symbolism of giving birth. LEE visualizes the ambivalent and multidimensional emotions embedded in the birthing process, including pain and joy, despair and liberation. The works seek to sensitively capture the fluctuations of emotion—their rises and falls—that an imperfect human existence undergoes when faced with the immense event of life’s emergence. Under the exhibition title, which likens the major and minor turning points encountered in life to the heights of waves, the exhibition presents the artist’s recent paintings.

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Installation Views

Exhibition view: LEE Eunsil, Surging Waves, ARARIO Gallery, Seoul (17 December 2025–31 January 2026). Courtesy ARARIO Gallery.
Exhibition view: LEE Eunsil, Surging Waves, ARARIO Gallery, Seoul (17 December 2025–31 January 2026). Courtesy ARARIO Gallery.
Exhibition view: LEE Eunsil, Surging Waves, ARARIO Gallery, Seoul (17 December 2025–31 January 2026). Courtesy ARARIO Gallery.
Exhibition view: LEE Eunsil, Surging Waves, ARARIO Gallery, Seoul (17 December 2025–31 January 2026). Courtesy ARARIO Gallery.
Exhibition view: LEE Eunsil, Surging Waves, ARARIO Gallery, Seoul (17 December 2025–31 January 2026). Courtesy ARARIO Gallery.
Exhibition view: LEE Eunsil, Surging Waves, ARARIO Gallery, Seoul (17 December 2025–31 January 2026). Courtesy ARARIO Gallery.
Exhibition view: LEE Eunsil, Surging Waves, ARARIO Gallery, Seoul (17 December 2025–31 January 2026). Courtesy ARARIO Gallery.
Exhibition view: LEE Eunsil, Surging Waves, ARARIO Gallery, Seoul (17 December 2025–31 January 2026). Courtesy ARARIO Gallery.
Exhibition view: LEE Eunsil, Surging Waves, ARARIO Gallery, Seoul (17 December 2025–31 January 2026). Courtesy ARARIO Gallery.
Exhibition view: LEE Eunsil, Surging Waves, ARARIO Gallery, Seoul (17 December 2025–31 January 2026). Courtesy ARARIO Gallery.
Exhibition view: LEE Eunsil, Surging Waves, ARARIO Gallery, Seoul (17 December 2025–31 January 2026). Courtesy ARARIO Gallery.

Also Exhibiting at Arario Gallery

About the Gallery

ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL opened its doors in Sogyeok-dong in 2006. Since then, it has established its foothold as a leading contemporary art gallery in Korea and across Asia, continuing to be at the forefront of the international art scene through its efficient representation system and bold exhibitions. In March 2014, ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL relocated near the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. In April 2018, ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL RYSE HOTEL, a second exhibition space in Seoul, opened in the Hongdae area. Running concurrently with its primary location until November 2019, the project space aimed to mirror the experimental spirit of the neighbourhood through its innovative programming. In 2022, ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL ended its Sogyeok-dong era. However, the various experimentation and ventures carried out in the gallery’s previous spaces continue to shape its future at its current location in Wonseo-dong, which reopened in February 2023. Through the preemptive discovery of young artists, steady support of represented artists, and the realisation of meaningful and original exhibitions, ARARIO GALLERY SEOUL aims to continually grow and contribute to the growth of the contemporary art scene in Korea.

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Seoul 85, Yulgok-ro, Jongno-gu
Arario Gallery
85, Yulgok-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Opening hours
Tuesday – Saturday
11am – 6pm
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